The Law. Yes or No: We are saved according to our obedience of God’s law. If you answer “No,” that we are saved by grace and not by our works, then answer this question: Does a Christian’s behavior differ from that of a non-Christian? If so, what is the source of the difference? Did either … Continue reading –>
The Sabbath School Lesson title instantly brought to mind: Hymn 11, “The God of Abraham Praise” so we will commence our singing with this hymn. The introduction to our Sabbath School Lesson asks the question: “If Abraham’s works and law-keeping didn’t justify him before God, what hope do we have? This type of question is … Continue reading –>
The issue Paul is dealing with here is much more than just theology. It gets to the heart and soul of salvation and of our relationship to God. If one believes that he or she must earn acceptance-that he or she must reach a certain standard of holiness before being justified and forgiven-then how natural … Continue reading –>
Read Romans 3:31. What’s Paul’s point here? Why is this point important to us as Adventists? In this passage Paul states emphatically that faith does not make void God’s law. But even those who kept the law, even the entire Old Testament corpus of law, were never saved by it. The religion of the Old Testament, … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: Gen. 15:6; 2 Samuel 11-12; Rom. 3:20, Romans 3:31; Romans 4:1-17; Gal. 3:21-23; 1 John 3:4. Memory Text: “Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law” (Romans 3:31). In many ways Romans 4 gets to the foundation of the biblical doctrine of salvation by faith alone and to the heart … Continue reading –>
Further Thought: Read Ellen G. White, The Righteousness of Christ in the Law, pp. 236-239; Come and Seek and Find, pp. 331-335; Perfect Obedience Through Christ, pp. 373, 374, in Selected Messages, book 1; “ Things New and Old,” pp. 128, 129, in Christ’s Object Lessons. “Though the law cannot remit the penalty for sin, but charges the sinner with all his debt, … Continue reading –>
WHERE’S THE BEEF?! I remember the popular fast food restaurant commercial where three senior ladies were staring at a less-than-adequate hamburger. As one lady peered at the sandwich she asked: “Where’s the beef?” Her question was a statement that, regardless of all of the trappings and accompaniments, the bottom line was that a hamburger should … Continue reading –>
Key Thought: We are justified by faith which leads to obedience out of love, and not a hope of reward or fear of punishment. Lesson 4, October 28, 2017 Have a volunteer read Romans 3:20 A. Ask what the main point of this passage is. B. What does it mean to be justified? C. Personal … Continue reading –>
“Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law” (Rom. 3:28). Does this mean that if the law doesn’t save us we are not required to obey it? Explain your answer. In the historical context, Paul was speaking in Romans 3:28 of law in its broad sense of the system of … Continue reading –>
Sunday’s section of this week’s lesson asks, How successful have your efforts in law-keeping been? What should that answer tell you about the futility of trying to be saved by keeping the law? What if I told you that just as assuredly as you already sinned in Adam, you have also already lived a perfect … Continue reading –>
You can view an in-depth discussion of “Justification by Faith” in the Hope Sabbath School class led by Pastor Derek Morris. (Adobe Flash Player version.) A Youtube version of this week’s lesson at Hope Sabbath School is below. You can download the video, the MP3 audio, and the lesson outline from the HopeTV Sabbath School … Continue reading –>
In Romans 3:25, Paul expounds further on the great news of salvation. He uses a fancy word, propitiation. The Greek word for it, hilasterion, occurs in the New Testament only here and in Hebrews 9:5, where it is translated as “mercy-seat.” As used in Romans 3:25 to describe the offer of justification and redemption through Christ, propitiation seems to represent the fulfillment of … Continue reading –>
