Sabbath: The Law and the Gospel
Read for This Week’s Study: Ps. 19:7-8; Exod. 23:1-9; 1 John 5:3; Rom. 3:19-20;Exod. 20:11-12; Deut. 5:15.
Memory Text: “Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, ‘I know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (1 John 2:3-4, NKJV).
Key Thought: God’s entire moral law is what reveals our sin and, thus, our need for a Savior. The law and the gospel are, therefore, inseparable.
The law and character of God are central to the great controversy and, when the controversy is finally over, God’s law and character will be vindicated before the onlooking universe. Until then, the controversy rages on, and as human beings we wind up on one side or another, and the side we choose decides which master we follow. In the words of Bob Dylan, You’re gonna have to serve somebody,/ Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord/But you’re gonna have to serve somebody. Those who choose to serve the Lord do so out of love and appreciation for what has been done for them through Christ. Having been buried with Christ by baptism into His death, they know that the body of sin was destroyed so that they no longer need to serve their former master, sin, but now have been given the freedom to obey God and His law.
In this week’s lesson we will look at the nature of the law, its purpose, and its relation to the good news of God’s saving grace. For, rightly understood, God’s law helps to reveal just what God’s grace has offered us in Christ.
Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, December 8.
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God's law is good and has the purpose of saving us not only from the pangs of death but even our happiness and joy in our daily life on earth
Thats great news
We have a proof in the bible God saves us many ways. The bible proof that we are keeping His commandements (and will inherit His Kingdom) and also the bible proof that like the murderer on the cross Jesus promised Him to be in the kingdom of. Finally He decides why we are going into His Kingdom and not at all we do.
If you love God you'll keep His commands and that love surpasses all understanding.
It is a known fact that all relationships are based upon communication, trust, respect, obedience, some form of love from us to others and from others to ourselves. This was and is all because of our Creator's plan. Through open-minded Bible study, we all are to learn how to conduct ourselves as we are involved in the many different relationships we will have and others treat us also. Earth's first parents had been given a great responsibility to maintain perfect harmony with our Creator and all that He created. Because of a lack of trust, faith, love, and obedience Adam and Eve brought disharmony between the Creator and all the things that they were given for their care. Because of their choices and actions all that the Creator put in their care has been marred. Therefore, we all should rejoice in knowing of the good news found in the gospels. The Creator valued His relationship with His created earthly beings and He planned to save the earth and its inhabitants by restoring what was lost. In Jesus, we are to learn how to live and we shall be reflections of our Creator through communication, faith, trust, respect, and obedience. Then the benefits shall be eternal.
Thanks for making the lesson available in data bases. I will like to ask a quiz, what will happen to those who are worshiping the devil (catholic) if they die before knowing the truth how will they be charged?
The gospel will be preached for a witness, then death or the end of the world will come.Matt28:19-20. Romans 2 :12-13 "If you sin without law you perish without law --------.
The question Samson poses has to do how God will judge those in ignorance of the truth not willful disobedience. While I believe Rom 2:12 is true I think it can all too easily be applied harshly without any mercy. Mercy is the one thing that God would have us manifest more than anything else (Mic 6:8; Mat 9:13; Mat 23:23; James 2:13) and is the one thing He has demonstrated more than anything (2 Pet 3:9; Ex 34:6-7: Rom 9:16). Along that line Paul seems to answer that question in his address to the philosophers in Athens, "Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent" (Acts 17:30 NKJV see also Rom 3:25).
Ellen White also has some things of interest to say on the subject:
I think there are some principles that we can get from these quotes.
• There is such a thing as true ignorance especially when it is brutally enforced upon people through slavery and/or indoctrination.
• God allows for such a thing in His mercy. In fact there were sacrifices under the law of Moses that took care of such a thing (Lev 4).
• God is not going to punish people for things that they were not able to understand.
Today it is hard to imagine anyone that is truly ignorant of everything. As Paul states, "for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, who show the work of the law written in their hearts" (Rom. 2:14-15 NKJV). But then only God knows the heart and will judge according to it.
The gospel is the good news of the saviour, why do we need a saviour? because all have sinned and come short of the glory of God and we cannot save ourselves. The next question is what is sin? according to the scriptures, sin is the transgression of the law. If the law is no longer relevant, sin will have no definition, meaning it will not exist and if it does not exist we cannot sin and if we cannot sin there is no need for a saviour and hence no need for the gospel, which is the good news of the saviour. The gospel and the law are not mutual exclusive, i.e. they cannot exist apart from each other.
Nevil Dixon, you have really summarised it all for me in those few lines. That's all what the Law and Christianity is all about.
This is a memory text we know and have understood for a while..... and yet it rings so true within this lesson
better, thats it dixon
Tyler, I totally agree with you. I for one deem it not fit or right to call our brothers and sisters in the Catholic that they worship the devil. We are cautioned in the book of Acts that God has His sheep in other fold and he will bring them in at His own appointed time. Those who earnestly and genuinely are being misled under some sort of slave and if they die in that state yet belived that what belived as gospel truth, the All wise God will judge them fairly.
Also Let us not assume that evey catholic goer is doomed, this is the period of the Loud cry when God's messengers will call His Own out of Babylon, when Sabbath Truth will stand as the test alligience to God. Who knows, our very brothers we assume are already doomed, will have there eyes opened by the Man of Truth- The Holy Spirit. Who testifies nothing of Himself, seve Him the One who sent Him. Their deceive condition will be awakened to the truth will switch alligience.
Lord Have mercy upon us!
Thank You!