By John Thiel, Beholding Christ Series, Part 6, mp3

John 21:21 Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what [shall] this man [do]? 22 Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what [is that] to thee? follow thou me.

The area to be addressed to at this point is the area of the relationship of human interactivity. This is revealed in this scripture where Apostle Peter queried what would happen to Apostle John. Peter had just received a most in-depth impact of Christ’s research into his personal salvation. The deepest root of evil had been painfully extracted from him, and immediately Peter turned around and said, “What about this man?” What did Jesus say to him? “What is that to you? You follow me.” Interactive relationships of human beings.

Jesus is our example, a perfect example in this matter. Did Jesus not come to this earth for the purpose of the human interactive dilemma that this whole human race is suffering under? What was the first sin in human interactivity that we can study to examine our problem and how Jesus deals with it, the very first sin in human interactivity? We go right back to Genesis and there after Eve had eaten of the fruit – she was the only one who had sinned at this stage – and now that she had sinned, what is the first sin of human interactivity that we can examine and observe the principle of the dilemma in which the human race is now?

Human Interaction

Genesis 3:6 And when the woman saw that the tree [was] good for food, and that it [was] pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make [one] wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat.

She took of the fruit thereof, and did eat. Was that the end of the story? It said,

Genesis 3:6 …and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. 12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest [to be] with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.

We need a little amplification of this to appreciate and to explore the actual sin of human interactivity that we are looking for.

And now, having herself transgressed, she became the agent of Satan in working the ruin of her husband. In a state of strange, unnatural excitement, with her hands filled with the forbidden fruit, she sought his presence, and related all that had occurred. {PP 55.3}

Here she was excited, she had just eaten the fruit and she’s not dead, and she’s enjoying something here. She comes with her hands full of the fruit to look for Adam. As she relates her experience:

An expression of sadness came over the face of Adam. He appeared astonished and alarmed. To the words of Eve he replied that this must be the foe against whom they had been warned; and by the divine sentence she must die. {PP 56.1}

Can you see the human interactivity here?

In answer she urged him to eat, repeating the words of the serpent, that they should not surely die. She reasoned that this must be true, for she felt no evidence of God’s displeasure, but on the contrary realized a delicious, exhilarating influence, thrilling every faculty with new life, such, she imagined, as inspired the heavenly messengers. {PP 56.1}

Human interactivity.

Adam understood that his companion had transgressed the command of God, disregarded the only prohibition laid upon them as a test of their fidelity and love. There was a terrible struggle in his mind. He mourned that he had permitted Eve to wander from his side. But now the deed was done; he must be separated from her whose society had been his joy. How could he have it thus? {PP 56.2}

You know the rest of the story. This is the subject we are now to explore, this human interactivity, in principle, to look at what has happened to us through this sin, to see what we do with one another due to sin.

The principle that is here identified can be put down into six categories of understanding as we explore this. What do we see in principle that humanity is in consequence tarred with? Notice that she came to Adam and was totally personally blind to the deception that she had fallen into. Here is the first factor, a blindness of oneself in human interactivity. The second one as we observe here is that she rationalised the benefit that she had gained from eating of that fruit, and in her rationalisation she tried to impart that rational to the other person. Thirdly, she was excited with her discovery, she was thrilled with what was happening to her and she made an exciting effort to convince a fellow human being by what she reasoned in her mind. But Adam turned and said, “Wait a minute, you have just violated God’s council. Isn’t that the case?” he said, “Isn’t this what the Lord had warned us about?”

He was perplexed and in his perplexity he was trying to communicate with her the error of what she was trying to implant in his mind. What does she do? She urges him, in contradiction to his own conviction, she urges him. This is the fourth point, reasoning in contradiction to another person’s conviction; and not only reasoning against another person’s conviction, but fifthly, urging her opinion upon him. That leads us to the sixth point, there is a precious relationship between these two human beings, and that precious relationship is being threatened of breaking. Herein lie these six factors of the dilemma of our human relationships one with another. Here is the original dilemma of human interactivity, and as we go through the Bible, we are instructed in reference to this problem that we face in our human interactivity’s with one another.

Let us go over these six points again. First of all, as one human being comes to the other human being, they are totally blind in reference to the way they are actually deceived in a matter. Secondly, they rationalize that their belief and their appreciation is beneficial to the other person. Thirdly, there is quite an exciting conviction about that, a conviction that I must convince my fellow human being of this elated, personal feeling I have. Fourthly, as I meet a contradictory conviction I must stride hard to reason against that contradictory thinking. And not being content with that, fifthly, I urge my opinion upon the other person. And finally, if that other person does not submit to this strong conviction of mine it will threaten our relationship. These are the principles of human interactivity that have taken place through sin.

As we look at those first three points, what does the Bible instruct us in this matter? The first three points are that personal blindness, a personal deceptive understanding, then a rationalising that it might benefit another, and an excitement to make a convincing argument with my fellow human being. What is written in reference to this principle? Here is the instruction and the guidance to conquer these three points in principle, where a particular person is convinced of something, and tries to reason excitedly to convince another person.

Individually Answerable to God

Romans 14:4 Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand. 5 One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day [alike] 7 For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. 8 For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s. 12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.

Here apostle Paul is dealing with this very problem of claiming that I, with my experience, must turn another person to what I believe should be done. He says, wait a minute, why do you enter into another person’s domain of what you think they should accept of you? It says here, everyone is individually responsible to God. If Eve was going to do that, let her do that between her and God. Don’t go to another person and convince them to do what I am doing, I am answerable to God, every one of us is answerable to God, we must sort it out between Him and us. That is the council.

Examining Each One His Case

My brethren, the time has come for every man to examine critically his own case. The time has come for men to keep their words of fault-finding for their individual selves. Let those who have been free to express their ideas regarding the error of their brother’s course, examine their own lives by the light of the Word of God. {RH November 14, 1907, par. 7}

Everyone in God’s council is to examine his own case. Even shouldn’t have gone to convince her husband, she should have waited to meet God. We are all accountable to God, we are not to look upon another person’s situation and try and reason that other person around to something. The time has come, especially in these last days, because this problem of human interactivity is rampant around us today, people cannot be contented with their own way of thinking, they must force somebody else into it. This is the reality. And she says,

Let those who have been free to express their ideas regarding the error of their brother’s course, examine their own lives by the light of the Word of God. {RH November 14, 1907, par. 7}

We are to critically examine our own case, not the case of others. This is the principle of instruction to deal with those first three points.

Then, the last three points, now that humanity is come to the point of actually striving hard to convict the other person, reasoning contradictorily to another person, urging their own opinion upon that other person, even at the threat of breaking up a happy relationship, on those three points, there is some council in God’s word,

Busy Bodying in Other Men’s Matters

1 Peter 4:15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or [as] a thief, or [as] an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters.

A busybody in other men’s matters. Was Eve content after eating the fruit without busy bodying herself into the mind of her husband? She was a busybody into another man’s matters. Here we have a testimony to help us understand this principle:

Each should diligently and interestedly attend to his own work, leaving others to their own Master, to stand or fall. There are too many busybodies in —–, too many who are interested in watching their brethren, and for this reason are constantly weak. They will bear testimony in meeting, and because they have not Jesus in their hearts to confess, they will try to impress upon their brethren their duty. {2T 245.3}

Have you heard testimonies of this nature? “I’ve done this and I’ve done that, but aren’t we all like that?” Have you heard that? “But don’t we all have the same problem?” Is that my business whether what anybody else has got a problem with? If I share my testimony of Jesus has done for me and what I’ve done against Him, that’s my responsibility. Because when I say that, “But we all have that problem”, then I am actually alleviating my own sense of failure. How do I know that the other person has got exactly the same problem as me? This is what is written.

These poor souls do not know their own duty, and yet they take the responsibility of enlightening others in regard to their duty. If such would attend to their own work, and obtain the grace of God in their hearts, there would be a power in the church which is now lacking. {2T 245.3}

Here is the council in amplification of what to do with this principle of entering into another person’s individual space, in his answerability to God, and trying to correct that other person.

I beg of you not to call meddling in other people’s household affairs missionary work. {2MR 274.1}

This household has got something wrong in it, and I must go and do my missionary work in dealing with those particular problems that I can see in that household. Don’t call that missionary work says the Spirit of Prophecy.

This is an important statement, because we want to conclude our meditation in regards to the Spirit of Christ in this matter.

There has been a spirit in the church at Hobart that is not in harmony with the Spirit of Christ, and those who cherish harshness, who have been free to condemn others, need to hear the voice of the Saviour, as He says, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me” [Revelation 3:20]. Will you open the door of your hearts, and let Jesus take possession? Will you suffer Jesus to cleanse the soul-temple of its rubbish? Will you permit the Holy Spirit to take possession of the human habitation? If you will do this, you will have humble thoughts of yourself. You will not exalt your ideas and opinions as supreme. {2MR 274.3}

That was what was Eve’s problem wasn’t it? She had a supreme appreciation that Adam didn’t seem to have, and “I’ve got to go and impart it to him, I’ve got to urge it upon him, and if he says, ‘But just a moment'” – if somebody says to you, ‘Just a moment’, and you say, oh no, no, this is really important.” No, it’s important to me, not to you. I must practice what is important to me; I am answerable to God, not you to me and me to you.

Here are the amplifications of the last three points portrayed to our minds.

Oh, how I long to see Christian character developed in our churches. How I long to see ministerial efficiency. There has been, and still is, the greatest danger of one man’s meddling with another man’s work. {13MR 373.3}

Meddling, busy bodying into another person’s responsibility, I think that this has to be done a bit better than what they’re doing.

There has been, and still is, the greatest danger of one man’s meddling with another man’s work not from a disinterested desire to help him but to confuse him. But the Lord has not given the one who is neglecting his own work the outlines of his brother’s work. How can he improve the methods of his fellow-worker by making suggestions and criticisms that only harass and discourage? If he will attend to his own work, the Great Teacher, though unseen, will take the oversight of the work that in His wisdom He has entrusted to other hands. {13MR 373.3}

Christ is the One who gives His disciples their work. Read His answer to Peter when Peter asked Him concerning the work of John. “Lord, and what shall this man do?” Peter asked. And Jesus answered, “If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou Me” [John 21:21, 22]. {13MR 374.1}

Today many are making the mistake that Peter made. They are so busily engaged in trying to arrange their brother’s work according to their own ideas that they neglect the work that God has placed in their hands. They lose all sense of the responsibility resting on them. {13MR 374.2}

Let us remember that one man may not understand the nature of the work that the next man has to do. {13MR 374.3}

If God has given somebody a particular work to do, that person goes to the Lord for council and wisdom and understanding and the other person looking on doesn’t know what has been transpiring in that person’s poor life to know what they must do. He cannot understand it.

He is not to feel that it is his place to tear to pieces what his brother is doing. He who attempts to unravel another man’s work will find in his hands a tangle that he cannot straighten. {13MR 374.3}

The moment we enter into another person’s situation it becomes a dreadful tangle and through Jesus Christ I have learnt, “Don’t get into another person’s life.” Very, very dangerous.

Let every man stand in his lot and place, doing faithfully the work given him. It is the questioning, criticizing spirit that is cherished that puts men in hard places. Let men humble their souls before God, feeling that it is a crime to criticize and condemn. Satan has his snares prepared for the feet of the one who is eager to place himself where God has not placed him. {13MR 374.4}

Satan has his snares. He wants to do exactly what he did through Eve.

[He] is so absorbed in correcting others that he has no time to correct his own defects  {ST October 2, 1901, par. 9}

How hard is it to correct your own defects? Does it take strenuous time thought, prayerful study? And while I am thinking of the other I am not doing what I should be doing.

[He] is so absorbed in correcting others that he has no time to correct his own defects, and therefore continues to present before angels and men a miserable representation of Christ. {ST October 2, 1901, par. 9}

As I read that I thought, “What was Christ involved in?” If I am going to follow Christ’s example, was Jesus involved in correcting other’s defects and neglecting His own? Because that is what is contained in this thought. What did Jesus constantly have to do, every step of the way, that He would not sin?

Christ and His Fellow Men

Hebrews 5:7 …with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death,

He was occupied in making sure that He is doing it right. And if I am concentrating on others to make sure that they are doing it right, I am giving a total false concept of what Jesus was doing. That is why we need to gaze upon Jesus, to learn of Jesus, how He would deal with this human interactivity. Let us behold Christ, who said to Peter, “What is that to thee?” Examine how He interacted with His fellow human beings while He had the wonderful statement of God in His ears, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” He who was the Master,

Matthew 23:8 one is your Master and all ye are brethren.

How did He interact with His fellow human beings? Here is our example, let us behold, in the light of what we have been contemplating in the first part of this study.

His dealings with His disciples, His disciples, so faulty, so full of false views of His mission, false views of His kingdom, to look at how He dealt with them is for us to study so that we may emulate Him in dealing with our fellow human beings. In my meditation to try and seal this, there were many thoughts, but one particular incident in my memory came flooding in, which I want to share with you, to see how Jesus dealt with the faulty behaviour of another person in His interaction with them as the Master, so that we can learn something of Him. Let us behold Him. Here is something we need to carefully explore, how Jesus dealt here,

Matthew 17:24 And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received tribute [money] came to Peter, and said, Doth not your master pay tribute?

And Peter shrivelled, he said, “Of course, yes, yes, yes!”

Matthew 17:25 He saith, Yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers? 26 Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free.

What is He saying? What was He saying to Peter? Peter was apologetic. He said, “Yes, we’ll pay tribute. Jesus will pay tribute.” And how did Jesus meet this faulty outlook? By asking Peter, “What do you think? What is your observation? Who do people pay tribute to? Do they pay tribute to each other, in their own ministerial ranks? Or, do the strangers pay tribute to them?” And he had to acknowledge, “Yes, the strangers.” – “So do we have to pay tribute then? The very Son of God?” That was left without saying. But then He says:

Matthew 17:27 Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee.

Isn’t this a wonderful way of dealing with it? He could have turned around and said, “Now, Peter, you’ve failed again. You keep on putting me into difficult spots. Now Peter come on, you know that we are the children of God, why should we pay tribute to the temple?” He didn’t do anything of that, did He? He never came into Peter’s personal space. He simply placed before him a consideration, and Peter came up with the answer. But now that Peter ended up with egg on his face, did Jesus make the egg on his face feel bad? What did He say? “Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them…” – “Notwithstanding, alright, let’s go along with it.” And He made a way of escape for Peter, what a wonderful example.

In other words, if somebody is going and making a mistake, if we are ever going to help them, we have to swing along beside them, and then, if an unobtrusive manner, steer them in the right direction. That is Christ’s example.

Though He had clothed His divinity with humanity, in this miracle He revealed His glory. It was evident that this was He who through David had declared, “Every beast of the forest is Mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all the fowls of the mountains; and the wild beasts of the field are Mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is Mine, and the fullness thereof.” Psalm 50:10-12. {DA 434.3}

While Jesus made it plain that He was under no obligation to pay the tribute, He entered into
no controversy with the Jews in regard to the matter; for they would have misinterpreted His words, and turned them against Him. Lest He should give offense by withholding the tribute, He did that which He could not justly be required to do. This lesson would be of great value to His disciples. Marked changes were soon to take place in their relation to the temple service, and Christ taught them not to place themselves needlessly in antagonism to established order. So far as possible, they were to avoid giving occasion for misinterpretation of their faith. While Christians are not to sacrifice one principle of truth, they should avoid controversy whenever it is possible to do so. {DA 434.4}

Avoid controversy, while still standing for truth.

When Christ and the disciples were alone in the house, while Peter was gone to the sea, Jesus called the others to Him, and asked, “What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way?” {DA 434.5}

Now this comes to another matter. Jesus had made Peter clearly understand and yet showed a way by which He could teach an attitude with other human beings. Now comes chapter 18 of Matthew, and watch how Jesus handles this one.

Matthew 18:1 At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? 2 And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, 3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

What were the disciples doing? They were doing exactly what Eve was doing in their interrelationship with each other, with Christ, and with the world around them.

When Christ and the disciples were alone in the house, while Peter was gone to the sea, Jesus called the others to Him, and asked, “What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way?” The presence of Jesus, and His question, put the matter in an entirely different light from that in which it had appeared to them while they were contending by the way. {DA 434.5}

They were contending who was going to be the greatest among each other. And now Jesus is in their presence, “Oops, what have we done?” Just by His presence, that is an interesting exercise of mind.

Shame and self-condemnation kept them silent. Jesus had told them that He was to die for their sake, and their selfish ambition was in painful contrast to His unselfish love. {DA 434.5}

The whole drama keeps on playing out in front of us.

When Jesus told them that He was to be put to death and to rise again, He was trying to draw them into conversation in regard to the great test of their faith. {DA 435.1}

He was talking of His experience, and He was trying to draw them in a conversation.

Had they been ready to receive what He desired to make known to them, they would have been saved bitter anguish and despair. {DA 435.1}

Think about this. Jesus could have stepped right in there, saying, “I know what you’re talking about!” And he could have just flatly confronted them with their stupidity. Did He do that? Are we people who are prone to want to bring certain things about and lobby people into our own ways of thinking, trying to correct somebody else by pressurizing, as the disciples were doing, or are we going to follow Christ’s example? It says here that He was actually put on a back foot in trying to prevent them from meeting the consequence of their faulty thinking, and He didn’t try to break it.

His words would have brought consolation in the hour of bereavement and disappointment. But although He had spoken so plainly of what awaited Him, His mention of the fact that He was soon to go to Jerusalem again kindled their hope that the kingdom was about to be set up. {DA 435.1}

He knew what they were on about, but did He start vilifying their way of thinking? Not at all.

This had led to questioning as to who should fill the highest offices. On Peter’s return from the sea, the disciples told him of the Saviour’s question, and at last one ventured to ask Jesus, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” {DA 435.1}

You see them here? They’re starting to bring Jesus into the picture. “Come on, we were just having this argument, who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” They wanted to hear something good. The Saviour dealt with it. How? Did He say, “When are you going to wake up? Haven’t I told you long enough that you’re to be humble, and the kingdom of heaven isn’t like what you’re thinking it is?” Is that what He spoke? No.

The Saviour gathered His disciples about Him, and said to them, “If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.” {DA 435.2}

You want to be a greatest? Be the last and the servant of all.

There was in these words a solemnity and impressiveness which the disciples were far from comprehending. {DA 435.2}

How can you make someone understand? Jesus knew they weren’t comprehending.

That which Christ discerned they could not see. They did not understand the nature of Christ’s kingdom, and this ignorance was the apparent cause of their contention. But the real cause lay deeper. By explaining the nature of the kingdom, Christ might for the time have quelled their strife; but this would not have touched the underlying cause. {DA 435.2}

There was a problem in their heart.

Even after they had received the fullest knowledge, any question of precedence might have renewed the trouble. Thus disaster would have been brought to the church after Christ’s departure. {DA 435.2}

And that is exactly what we have seen in many people’s lives in the churches. Disaster was a terrible thing when they forgot Christ’s lessons.

The strife for the highest place was the outworking of that same spirit which was the beginning of the great controversy in the worlds above, and which had brought Christ from heaven to die. {DA 435.2}

There she goes into the detail of how Lucifer wanted to be like God; and there she says, if he would have wanted to be like God, then he should have accepted the character of God, and he would have been like God. But no, he wanted the place, but not the character.

Before honor is humility. To fill a high place before men, Heaven chooses the worker who, like John the Baptist, takes a lowly place before God. The most childlike disciple is the most efficient in labor for God. The heavenly intelligences can co-operate with him … {DA 436.3}

But when men exalt themselves, feeling that they are a necessity for the success of God’s great plan, the Lord causes them to be set aside. It is made evident that the Lord is not dependent upon them. The work does not stop because of their removal from it, but goes forward with greater power. {DA 436.4}

How does Jesus deal with it, as He was trying to explain this in answer to their question?

It was not enough for the disciples of Jesus to be instructed as to the nature of His kingdom. What they needed was a change of heart that would bring them into harmony with its principles. Calling a little child to Him, Jesus set him in the midst of them; then tenderly folding the little one in His arms He said, “Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” The simplicity, the self-forgetfulness, and the confiding love of a little child are the attributes that Heaven values. These are the characteristics of real greatness. {DA 437.1}

Jesus does things so tenderly, so carefully. As you look at this, as you explore it and do it under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, carefully, prayerfully, gaze upon Him, learn of Him.

As you look at Christ’s interaction with Judas, you learn something phenomenal. Judas, the one whom He knew was going to deliver Him to the Pharisees, to be crucified. He knew it, He said, One of you is a devil. But did He unveil Judas? Did He say, “Judas, I know exactly what you are going to do.”? Did He begin to lobby the disciples to turn against Judas? Did He move in any way to make it difficult for Judas? He kept on appealing to him, undercover, always presenting the word in the way that Judas could see himself. And right at the last moment, when He was washing his feet, He gave Judas the loving touch of winning him to Himself. How long He had to bear Judas, how long He had to bear Peter, how long He had to bear the disciples, and lovingly, and kindly, in His interaction with them, He did the exact opposite to what we have observed happened between Eve and Adam. He who could have dictated and directed the disciples, His fellow human beings, didn’t do that. In fact, look at Him in Jude. Here is Michael, the Prince, our Jesus,

Jude 1:9 Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.

What is a railing accusation? “You let him go, you are the devil, get out of here.” He didn’t say that. No railing accusation. He didn’t argue with him, He just said, “The Lord rebuke thee. I am taking him, sorry.” The nature of our Master is that which we must emulate so that we never get into each other’s space, never; so that we never raise a railing accusation when we think the other person is doing something stupid, something wrong. When I think I’m right and the others are wrong, I am not to do the opposite of what Jesus did, I am not to lobby others, to do what I want them to do, so that when we come to the business meeting we’ve already laid a foundation by which we can get the way that we want.

We are not to steer anybody along the path that we want them to go, Jesus did not do that. Jesus simply gave the right example, and showed His loving patience with every faulty members of His church. In our calling to comprise the church triumphant – God is still calling us now, to be part of the 144,000 – He is calling us to repentance, a deeper repentance yet. And this is one area for which we are to gaze upon Jesus, so that we will copy Him perfectly. To be the church triumphant, we are called upon to diligently behold Christ’s example, so that as His body we will demonstrate to the world this kind of spirit.

The Evidence of Christ

By our unity we are to bear strong, indisputable evidence that Christ came to this world to save sinners. Satan works with all his ingenuity to prevent human beings from bearing this evidence. {UL 271.2}

The evidence of Christ’s example?

He wants them to develop an unsanctified individuality so that they shall not love one another. {UL 271.2}

Remember the six points, if I can’t convince you, it’s going to create a rift between us. “Let’s romp along together”, said Eve to Adam. That’s the principle, and Satan is right there doing that, that he would bring rift between each other, if we don’t harmonise with each other’s opinions.

Too often professing Christians yield to him, and then the merest trifle causes a difference to spring up among them. {UL 271.2}

The merest trifle becomes a mountain.

Men and women professing godliness build walls of separation between them and their fellow workers … {UL 271.2}

Notice it builds, it doesn’t happen at once. It’s a little bit here, “Oh” that stays in my memory, and then “Oh, there’s another there”, and that stays in my memory. Very slowly, a wall of separation develops between each other, that’s Satan, in the principles that he established in Eve.

Men and women professing godliness build walls of separation between them and their fellow workers, because not all think in exactly the same way, or follow exactly the same methods. Those who stand apart, refusing to harmonize, dishonor God before the world. Christ prayed for unity. It is His will that His followers shall labor together in Christian fellowship…. {UL 271.2}

Let us respond to Christ’s invitation,

Matthew 11:28 Come unto me, all [ye] that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke [is] easy, and my burden is light.

To respond to this invitation we must let go all self-importance, all feeling of superiority and bow in submission to the will of God. Here is the answer to be part of the church triumphant, in the matter of human interactivity. I thank God for Jesus, whom we can study like this, and more deeply yet, to emulate Him in our human interactivity. Let us go and do that, is my prayer.

Amen.