Among Snares | The Desire of Ages in Music, Ch. 50 | Traditional | Ellen G. White

In Chapter 50 of The Desire of Ages, “Among Snares,” Jesus teaches in Jerusalem while the religious leaders repeatedly try to trap and discredit Him. Based on John 7:16–36, 40–53 and John 8:1–11, the chapter asks a deeply personal question: How do we recognize what is true? Jesus points beyond education, position, and human authority to the condition of the heart. Those who sincerely desire to know and do God’s will are prepared to recognize His truth. Ellen G. White also warns against allowing religious leaders or tradition to take the place of personal Bible study. We are called to search the Scriptures prayerfully, compare Scripture with Scripture, and be willing to obey what God reveals. The chapter then brings these principles vividly to life in the story of the woman taken in adultery. Her accusers bring her to Jesus as part of another trap, but Christ sees both her heart and theirs. One by one her accusers leave, and Jesus tells her, “Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.” He does not excuse sin, but neither does He crush the sinner. His mercy becomes the beginning of a new life of purity and peace. Ellen White writes that Christ hates the sin but loves the sinner, and that His followers will be slow to censure, quick to recognize repentance, ready to forgive, encourage, and help the wandering find the path of holiness. “Live by What Is True” is an original Christian song inspired by The Desire of Ages, Chapter 50. Following the chapter from Jesus’ confrontations with the religious leaders to His tender treatment of the woman brought before Him, the song turns its central message into a prayer: “Give me a heart that seeks Your will… Make me willing to obey, and live by what is true.” May it remind us not only to recognize God’s truth, but to surrender to it—and to reflect the mercy and restoring love of Jesus toward others. #egw #egwwritings #ellengouldwhite #ellengwhite #adventist #seventhdayadventist #adventistmusic #jesussongs #christianmusic #christiansong #jesuschrist