Sabbath: Christ, the Law and the Gospel
Read for This Week’s Study: Rom. 7:7-12; Deut. 30:15-20; Matt. 7:24-27; Acts 10:34-35; John 15:10; Eph. 2:1.
Memory Text: For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ (John 1:17, NKJV).
A century before Christ, Roman poet Lucretius wrote a famous poem that was lost in history until the Middle Ages called On the Nature of Things.
Though often accused of being an atheist, Lucretius didn’t in his poem deny the existence of the gods; he just argued that by virtue of being gods they would have absolutely no interest in anything human.
In contrast the Bible argues that there is one God only, and that He’s fervently interested in what happens here. And two manifestations of that passionate interest in humanity are found in His law (which is to guide how we live) and in His grace (His means of saving us even though we have violated that law). Though often seen as contrary to each other, law and grace are indispensably linked. Their methods of operation may be different, but together they reveal that righteousness must triumph over sin. The manifestations of God’s law and His grace provide powerful evidence of His love for humanity and His desire to save us into His eternal kingdom. *Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, May 31.
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The law acts as a mirror projecting to us how we look like, (well-dressed or improperly dressed.
What the mirror can't do is to correct the dressing. In the same vein, we acknowledge our sin through the law. Without the law what will be the barometer to describe what is sin?
The law of God is therefore extremely crucial placing mankind in a position that we will need a Saviour and Redeemer
I am a bit confused with John 15:10.
Jesus here appears to differentiate between His commandments and His Father's commandments.
"If ye keep my commandments...even as I have kept my Father's commandments"
Isn't this text a pretty strong support for those who believe the 10 commandments were done away with at the cross?
Ray, there are a thousand ways man will use to get around what he knows is right. “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it” (Jer 17:9 NKJV).
As far as I am concerned, for those who love the truth (2 Thess 2:9-12) it is very clear that both Jesus and the Father were together on everything including commandments and that what one did and taught so did the other (Jn 14:10; Jn 17:1; Deut 6:4). The mistaken idea of the disciples that Jesus was entirely different than the Father can be seen in Philips request:
To me it is quite clear that Jn 15:10 is not distinguishing between commandments but about Jesus wishing for us to have the same relationship to Him that He had with the Father. I think here we need to keep in mind the condescension of Jesus as spoken of in Phil 2 where Jesus voluntarily put Himself under the control and authority of the Father in order to be like His brethren (Heb 2:17).
Wow!am proud that the law will not leave any stone unturned whether you dont obey the written law revealed through Christ who strengthens us to walk in the law and achieve salvation through His grace,but on the other hand whether you become admant that the law was abolished then God will apply His law to judge everyone those who doisobey the written law as well as those who dont use their conscience in realizing the wonderful natural and physical features that exist around,they are evident and can as well make one accept that indeed theres God,so the little you know,you be judged by it,help me God to be counted blameless with my friends who will hear this words,amen
This lesson is very useful to us as christians who are true believers! So many of us has misunderstood the relationship between law and grace, because we continue to deny the effects and the validity of the Ten Commandments( which are God's law).Examples abound in as far what the law means, and the effects of sin in our lives. The law has a place in the gospel of Jesus Christ because it points sin to us.Paul indeed believed in the law. As we study this week's lesson,we need to recognize that law and grace work together to reveal God's plan for triumph over sin.God's law and His grace provides powerful evidence of His love for humanity.
God's law is holy,just and good.The question is; What makes a law good or bad, the lawmaker or the effect theeffectof the law?