Have you seen it? The head-bob and the eye-roll? You, the adult, have just said something that your teen has deemed – uh, less than intelligent or, at least, not pertinent to his or her current life situation. I hate to admit, though, that I have also performed that little operation as well. Usually just … Continue reading –>
Read Ellen G. White, “‘God With Us,’” pp. 19-29, in The Desire of Ages; Ivan T. Blazen, “Salvation,” pp. 271-313, in Raoul Dederen (ed.), Handbook of Seventh-day Adventist Theology. “The plan for our redemption was not an afterthought, a plan formulated after the fall of Adam. It was a revelation of ‘the mystery which hath been kept in … Continue reading –>
The experience of justification places within the life of the believer spiritual realities that initiate change in the person’s life. In justification, the sinner is forgiven (Luke 7:47, Eph. 1:7, Rom. 4:7), acquitted of the charges of sin and reckoned righteous (Rom. 5:16, 18; Rom. 8:1), and given the gift of a new life (Eph. 2:1-5, 2 Cor. 5:17). The foundation of this … Continue reading –>
“And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the Lord has said, even among the survivors whom the Lord calls.” Joel 2:32, NIV Many public beaches and pools have lifeguards who dedicate their time to making sure that swimmers … Continue reading –>
The sinner is justified and reconciled on the objective basis of Christ’s atoning sacrifice for all (Rom. 5:6-10). The provision that God has made for the justification and reconciliation of humankind to Himself through the death of Christ needs, however, to be brought into the experience of the believer. It is not enough to just … Continue reading –>
Throughout salvation history, starting with the first gospel promise (Gen. 3:15), through the early sacrificial system (Gen. 4:4), the covenant with Abram (Gen. 12:1-3), and then the Israelite sanctuary service (Exod. 25:8)-everything was to point to, and climax in, the life, death, resurrection, and heavenly ministry of Jesus Christ, God’s ultimate provision to solve the sin problem. The … Continue reading –>
The effects of sin did not wait for a “grace-period.” The results of sin were immediate and needed immediate attention. It was necessary, therefore, for some kind of provision to be in place when sin manifested itself. Ellen White expressed it so clearly: “As soon as there was sin, there was a Saviour. Christ knew … Continue reading –>
Because salvation is God’s solution to the problem created by sin, the extent of sin’s damage determines the scope of the solution. It wouldn’t be a solution were it unable to solve the problem, no matter what the size of the problem. What do the following texts reveal about the scope of the sin problem? How … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: John 2:25; Jer. 17:9; Titus 1:1-2; Rom. 3:19-24; Acts 2:37; Luke 7:47; Eph. 2:1-5. Memory Text: “ ‘For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life’ ” (John 3:16, NKJV). Key Thought: The sin problem is very big; how thankful we should be that … Continue reading –>
