The Adventist Advantage
What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision? Much in every way! First of all, they have been entrusted with the very words of God. Rom. 3:1, 2, NIV.
In Romans 3 the apostle Paul said, in effect, What is the advantage of being one of God's chosen people with advanced knowledge, hope, and guidance? (In the King James Version it says, "What advantage then hath the Jew?") Then he goes on to describe how they were the recipients of God's oracles. They had that divine advantage of knowing, of understanding. But it does nothing for us at all unless we put it into practice, unless it becomes a part of our life.
I believe there is an "Adventist advantage." More than 130 years ago God gave the Adventist pioneers special health information. But the Adventist advantage won't do Adventists any good unless they are a living testimony that demonstrates the superiority of God's lifestyle to the world, both physically and spiritually.
When I was a young man I spent several years at Vincent Hill School up in the foothills of the Himalayas in North India. Because of the favorable climate at 10,000-foot altitude, a number of schools existed in that area. Ours, however, was the smallest and the subject of ridicule because we had a vegetarian diet. The others would challenge us in all kinds of sports, but we always declined because of school policy. They said it was because we were afraid of them.
There came a time when a few of us were tired of the ridicule. Annually the area schools held a competitive run to a mountain about 20 miles away that required traveling over difficult terrain with huge gorges spanned by little rope bridges, and scrambling steep mountainsides. We were really not supposed to compete in it. However, three of us decided that we would enter to demonstrate to all our critics that there was an Adventist advantage.
It was a privilege to return from that three-day ordeal and be at least a quarter of a mile ahead of the next competitor! And the two others from our school took the third- and fourth-place positions. After that there was never any question about the "grass eaters" and the Adventist advantage.
Are you a living demonstration to the world of the Adventist advantage?
In Romans 3 the apostle Paul said, in effect, What is the advantage of being one of God's chosen people with advanced knowledge, hope, and guidance? (In the King James Version it says, "What advantage then hath the Jew?") Then he goes on to describe how they were the recipients of God's oracles. They had that divine advantage of knowing, of understanding. But it does nothing for us at all unless we put it into practice, unless it becomes a part of our life.
I believe there is an "Adventist advantage." More than 130 years ago God gave the Adventist pioneers special health information. But the Adventist advantage won't do Adventists any good unless they are a living testimony that demonstrates the superiority of God's lifestyle to the world, both physically and spiritually.
When I was a young man I spent several years at Vincent Hill School up in the foothills of the Himalayas in North India. Because of the favorable climate at 10,000-foot altitude, a number of schools existed in that area. Ours, however, was the smallest and the subject of ridicule because we had a vegetarian diet. The others would challenge us in all kinds of sports, but we always declined because of school policy. They said it was because we were afraid of them.
There came a time when a few of us were tired of the ridicule. Annually the area schools held a competitive run to a mountain about 20 miles away that required traveling over difficult terrain with huge gorges spanned by little rope bridges, and scrambling steep mountainsides. We were really not supposed to compete in it. However, three of us decided that we would enter to demonstrate to all our critics that there was an Adventist advantage.
It was a privilege to return from that three-day ordeal and be at least a quarter of a mile ahead of the next competitor! And the two others from our school took the third- and fourth-place positions. After that there was never any question about the "grass eaters" and the Adventist advantage.
Are you a living demonstration to the world of the Adventist advantage?
Used by permission of Health Ministries, North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists.
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