Most everyone is familiar with John 3:16. What comes after, though, helps flesh it out and explain it even better. Read John 3:17–21. What does it say about judgment? About grace? How do these verses reveal to us how grace and judgment work together? The word translated “condemn” in verse 17 is also translated in some versions as “judge.” … Continue reading –>
Critics of the Bible make a big deal of the fact that other ancient civilizations had their own flood stories. They argue that the Bible story isn’t unique, original, or even true but is merely a copy of some previous myth or legend.1 On the other hand, those who believe that the Bible is the … Continue reading –>
Think about this: before sin, there was no need of grace because there was nothing to forgive, nothing to pardon, nothing to cover. It’s the same with judgment. Before sin, there was nothing to judge, nothing to condemn, nothing to be punished. Both grace and judgment arise, at least in a human context, only because … Continue reading –>
The theme of judgment, divine judgment, runs through the entire Bible. And contrary to common beliefs, judgment is not contrary to salvation or to the gospel. Indeed, both themes are woven together in Scripture from Genesis through Revelation.1 And no wonder. Judgment and salvation reflect twin aspects of God’s character: His justice and grace. Thus, … Continue reading –>
Friday’s section of “The God of Grace and Judgment” asks the question, “What’s the deadly spiritual trap of thinking that because we’re saved by grace, it doesn’t matter what we do? How can you protect yourself against falling into that deception?” On the golf course we have another word for grace. It is called a … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: 1 Cor. 3:13; 2 Cor. 5:10; Genesis 3, 6; John 3:17–21; Rev. 14:6, 7. Memory Text: “For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:14). Key Thought: God’s judgment is as pervasive in the Bible as is the theme of salvation; in fact, the … Continue reading –>
Marilyn Sewell, a Unitarian minister, made the following statement while interviewing Christopher Hitchens, a well-known atheist: “The religion you cite in your book is generally the fundamentalist faith of various kinds. I’m a liberal Christian, and I don’t take the stories from the Scripture literally. I don’t believe in the doctrine of atonement 1 (that … Continue reading –>
“Oh, how inefficient, how incapable I am of expressing the things which burn in my soul in reference to the mission of Christ! . . . I know not how to speak or trace with pen the large subject of the atoning sacrifice. I know not how to present subjects in the living power in … Continue reading –>
Alexander Grinev I was a typical Soviet youth—ambitious and skeptical. When the Soviet Union broke up, I opened my own business. One day Natasha, my wife, met a woman who invited us to evangelistic meetings sponsored by Adventists. I had heard of Adventists and believed that they were honest people. So when Natasha came home … Continue reading –>
Key Thought: From the beginning the Bible points to the substitutionary death of Christ on the cross in order to redeem us from sin’s penalty of eternal destruction. [Teaching Plan for “God as Redeemer” January 18, 2012] 1. Have a volunteer read Romans 1:16-18. A. Ask class members to share a short thought on what … Continue reading –>
Nothing is more destructive to our grasp of the atonement of Christ than the sentimentality that sometimes passes for Christianity in our day (all in the attempt to make the gospel conform to modern thinking). However, we must ever humbly acknowledge that anything we say about God can never do God justice, especially when we … Continue reading –>
Despite the astounding miracle of Christ’s incarnation, His profound teaching, and the miracles He performed, these are not the central focus of Christ’s life. Instead, what dominates the thinking of Jesus is the giving of His life. As miraculous as His birth and ministry were, the great mission of Christ’s life was His death.1 In … Continue reading –>
