Sabbath: The Great Controversy: The Foundation
Read for This Week’s Study: Gen. 3:15, Rev. 12:1-17, Isa. 14:4-21, Ezek. 28:12-19, Isa. 53:6, Rom.1:20-28, John 16:2.
Memory Text: “ ‘And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel’ ” (Genesis 3:15, NKJV).
Key Thought: The great controversy motif is the overarching concept that gives cohesion to Seventh-day Adventist fundamental beliefs.
Necessity,” it has been said, “is the mother of invention.” The word mother, in this case, means “the source,” “the driving force,” “the foundation”; it’s the need, the necessity, for something that moves people to action. For instance, the need for cleaner air is the foundation, the driving force, behind the move for energy sources other than fossil fuels.
Just as with physical inventions, a belief system also needs a foundation, a principle that explains it.
Seventh-day Adventists profess a body of 28 fundamental beliefs. These beliefs have a foundation in a concept that we call the “great controversy.” Each of the 28 fundamentals deals with a particular aspect of this cosmic controversy. The beliefs that will be studied this quarter make the best sense against the backdrop of the great controversy motif. This week we will look at some of the key points of this foundation.
Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, October 6.
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From the book The Great Controversy under the topic "Enemity Between Man and Satan" I read a statement that said, "Had not God specially interposed, Satan and man would have entered into an alliance against Heaven; and instead of cherishing enmity against Satan, the whole human family would have been united in opposition to God." {GC 505.2}
I can see this, and it reminds me of the angel God placed in Eden after they sinned to keep them from eating of the Tree of Life. They would've entered an eternal state of sin had they eaten from it after they sinned. I can only imagine being an eternal sinner that satan would have alliance with man.
We would not have been eternal... God would have destroyed evil in due time. I think the plan of Salvation would have still been carried out as well...There is more to this story than just man. Remember there was accusations made against the most high before the fall of man. Those are questions we probably would have to talk to the Lord..."IF" That dangerous conjunctive!!!
Amen. Put more emphasis on Christ's deity.
Mh!thank you Jesus for redeeming us as we would have been eternal sinners.
Chandra can you please explain about the tree of life. For them to have eternal life was it not because they would have to continuously eat of its leaves or if they had taken the leaf say once after they had sinned were they to have lived forever.
I'm very excited and happy to be opportuned to partake in the studying of this course, Thank God for bringing this important issue to us. MAY HIS ANGEL GUIDE AND EXPLAIN EVERY BIT OF THIS TOPIC TO OUR OWN UNDERSTANDING, AMEN! GOD BLESS YOU AS YOU ABIDE IN HIS WORD!
Once sin came into our world, we were in need of a redeemer. It is only through the blood of Jesus, that a person is saved from their sins. Even Adam and Eve had to shed the blood of an innocent lamb, which represented Jesus.
Sin is an intruder in the Cosmos "It is impossible to explain the origin of sin so as to give a reason for its existence. Yet enough may be understood concerning both the origin and the final disposition of sin to make fully manifest the justice and benevolence of God in all His dealings with evil. Nothing is more plainly taught in Scripture than that God was in no wise responsible for the entrance of sin; that there was no arbitrary withdrawal of divine grace, no deficiency in the divine government, that gave occasion for the uprising of rebellion. Sin is an intruder, for whose presence no reason can be given. It is mysterious, unaccountable; to excuse it is to defend it. Could excuse for it be found, or cause be shown for its existence, it would cease to be sin. Our only definition of sin is that given in the word of God; it is "the transgression of the law;" it is the outworking of a principle at war with the great law of love which is the foundation of the divine government. {GC 492.2}
I thank God FOR loving us and showing his love for us by laying up a plan of salvation even before the foundations of the earth.
God is our true father but satan claims it openly to be the true father, decieving that he cares more than him (God). Now, let us focus to the creator who designed a system back to our home.
Thank God for SALVATION that though the enemy thought he had it all figured out my God had and ALWAYS has a way out for us!!!
Does anybody else see the parallel of the first angels message in the memory verse? William Miller prayed and preached until they turned to our redeemer where they found a change of heart proverbs 8:13 Gen.3:15 and Rev.14:6&7. "Fear God and give glory to HIM" "...The fear of the LORD IS TO HATE EVIL'... "put enmity between thee and the woman" We have not found a change in the serpents thinking yet thank god for the promise Heb. 8:10 "I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts:.. We have no where else to boast its a God thing the enmity; the hatred of evil; or fear of God; and the mind of Jesus written in our hearts whereby the law may be fulfilled even in us "give glory to him"! What a gift how can this be fully appreciated? What has god wrought?
I blessed the Lord for saving us out of eternal damnation. Happy Sabbath gents.