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From Heaven With Love
Ideas of God Mold Character
Their ideas of God molded their own character. As in their
view He had no interest in man, so they had little regard for one
another. Refusing to acknowledge the influence of the Holy Spirit,
they lacked His power in their lives. They boasted of their birthright
as children of Abraham, but of the faith and benevolence of Abraham
they were destitute. Their hearts were not touched by the wants and
sufferings of others. They lived for themselves.
By His words and works, Christ testified to a divine power that
produces supernatural results, to a future life, to God as a Father of
the children of men, ever watchful of their true interests. He taught
that God moves upon the heart by the Holy Spirit. He showed the
error of trusting to human power for that transformation of character
which can be wrought only by the Spirit of God.
In seeking a controversy with Jesus, the Sadducees felt con-
fident of bringing Him into disrepute, if not condemnation. The
resurrection was the subject on which they chose to question Him.
Should He agree with them, He would give offense to the Pharisees.
Should He differ with them, they designed to hold His teaching up to
ridicule. The Sadducees reasoned that if the body is to be composed
of the same particles of matter in its immortal as in its mortal state,
then it must have flesh and blood and resume in the eternal world
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the life interrupted on earth. Husband and wife would be reunited,
marriages consummated, and all things go on the same as before
death.
In answer to their questions, Jesus lifted the veil from the future
life. “In the resurrection,” He said, “they neither marry, nor are given
in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.” The Sadducees
were wrong. “Ye do err,” He added, “not knowing the Scriptures,
nor the power of God.” He did not charge them with hypocrisy, but
with error of belief.
Their ignorance of the Scriptures and the power of God He
declared to be the cause of their confusion of faith and darkness of
mind. Christ called on them to open their minds to those sacred
truths that would broaden the understanding. Thousands become
infidels because they cannot comprehend the mysteries of God. The
only key to the mysteries that surround us is to acknowledge in them