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Wally

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SDA Sabbath School Lesson 9--4th Quarter 2017--No Condemnation
« on: November 24, 2017, 01:05:39 PM »
Lesson 9 November 25 - December 1





No Condemnation













Commentary in Navy                  Inspiration in Maroon










So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants:  we have done that which was our duty to do.  Luke 17:10

Glen

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Re: SDA Sabbath School Lesson 9--4th Quarter 2017--No Condemnation
« Reply #1 on: November 25, 2017, 07:12:21 AM »
Sabbath Afternoon:
Paul was saying in Romans 7 that if you refuse to accept Jesus Christ, the wretched experience of Romans 7 will be yours. You will be slaves to sin, unable to do what you choose to do...

In Romans 7, Paul describes the experience of those who do not have Christ, who are slaves to sin, unable to do that which the Spirit defines and convicts as holy, and just, and good..
...Jesus...will live through (YOU), giving (YOU) the inspiration of His sanctifying Spirit, imparting to (YOUR) soul a vital transfusion of Himself. Sabbath-School Worker 02-01-96.03  ...as the blood

Glen

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Re: SDA Sabbath School Lesson 9--4th Quarter 2017--No Condemnation
« Reply #2 on: November 25, 2017, 07:53:16 AM »
Christ Jesus offers you deliverance from sin and the freedom to do the good that you want to do but that your flesh won’t allow.

As the great apostle to the Gentiles looked at his sinful condition, he exclaimed, O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? Romans 7:24
Ms 104, 1901 (October 8, 1901) par. 5


Prayer brings Jesus to our side, and gives new strength and fresh grace to the fainting, perplexed soul to overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil. Prayer turns aside the attacks of Satan. Our High Calling 177

The Holy Spirit is the breath of spiritual life in the soul. The impartation of the Spirit is the impartation of the life of Christ. It imbues the receiver with the attributes of Christ. Christian Service 254


For...the Spirit (lusteth)against the flesh...so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. Galatians 5:17

The conflict between the soul and Satan begins when the captive begins to tug at the chain, and longs to be free; for it is then that the human agent begins to cooperate with heavenly intelligences, when faith takes hold on Christ. Then it is that the Stronger than the strong man armed, is the helper of the soul, and the poor captive is strengthened by the Holy Spirit to obtain his freedom.  The Youth’s Instructor May 10, 1894 paragraph 1
...Jesus...will live through (YOU), giving (YOU) the inspiration of His sanctifying Spirit, imparting to (YOUR) soul a vital transfusion of Himself. Sabbath-School Worker 02-01-96.03  ...as the blood

Glen

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Re: SDA Sabbath School Lesson 9--4th Quarter 2017--No Condemnation
« Reply #3 on: November 25, 2017, 08:32:20 AM »
Let us turn to the story of the paralytic at Bethesda. The poor sufferer was helpless; he had not used his limbs for thirty-eight years. Yet Jesus bade him, “Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.” The sick man might have said, “Lord, if Thou wilt make me whole, I will obey Thy word.” But, no, he believed Christ's word, believed that he was made whole, and he made the effort at once; he willed to walk, and he did walk. He acted on the word of Christ, and God gave the power. He was made whole.

In like manner you are a sinner. You cannot atone for your past sins; you cannot change your heart and make yourself holy. But God promises to do all this for you through Christ. You believe that promise. You confess your sins and give yourself to God. You will to serve Him. Just as surely as you do this, God will fulfill His word to you. If you believe the promise,—believe that you are forgiven and cleansed,—God supplies the fact; you are made whole, just as Christ gave the paralytic power to walk when the man believed that he was healed. It is so if you believe it.

Do not wait to feel that you are made whole, but say, “I believe it; it is so, not because I feel it, but because God has promised.” ...

Henceforth you are not your own; you are bought with a price. “Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold; ... but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” 1 Peter 1:18, 19. Through this simple act of believing God, the Holy Spirit has begotten a new life in your heart. You are as a child born into the family of God, and He loves you as He loves His Son. 53Steps to Christ, 49-52.

If you give yourself to Him, and accept Him as your Saviour, then, sinful as your life may have been, for His sake you are accounted righteous. Christ's character stands in place of your character, and you are accepted before God just as if you had not sinned. 54Steps to Christ, 62.

Put away the suspicion that God's promises are not meant for you. They are for every repentant transgressor. Strength and grace have been provided through Christ to be brought by ministering angels to every believing soul. None are so sinful that they cannot find strength, purity, and righteousness in Jesus, who died for them. 55Steps to Christ, 52, 53.
...Jesus...will live through (YOU), giving (YOU) the inspiration of His sanctifying Spirit, imparting to (YOUR) soul a vital transfusion of Himself. Sabbath-School Worker 02-01-96.03  ...as the blood

Richard Myers

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Re: SDA Sabbath School Lesson 9--4th Quarter 2017--No Condemnation
« Reply #4 on: November 25, 2017, 08:48:52 AM »
Amen, Brother Glen.  Jesus loves us and gave Himself for us. As evil and wicked as we are in the flesh, grace has power to bring us to repentance and keep us from hurting Jesus and others. Let us look unto Jesus that by beholding His character we might be changed into His image.
Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.

Richard Myers

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Re: SDA Sabbath School Lesson 9--4th Quarter 2017--No Condemnation
« Reply #5 on: November 25, 2017, 08:49:53 AM »

Sabbath Afternoon


Read for This Week’s Study: Rom. 8:1-17.

Memory Verse: “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” Romans 8:1

Romans 8 is Paul’s answer to Romans 7. In Romans 7 Paul speaks of frustration, failure, and condemnation. In Romans 8 the condemnation is gone, replaced with freedom and victory through Jesus Christ.

Why is the condemnation gone? Because the repentant sinner is walking in the Spirit, not in the flesh.


Paul was saying in Romans 7 that if you refuse to accept Jesus Christ, the wretched experience of Romans 7 will be yours. You will be slaves to sin, unable to do what you choose to do. In Romans 8 he says that Christ Jesus offers you deliverance from sin and the freedom to do the good that you want to do but that your flesh won’t allow.

Paul continues, explaining that this freedom was purchased at infinite cost. Christ the Son of God took on humanity. It was the only way He could relate to us, could be our perfect example, and could become the Substitute who died in our stead. He came “in the likeness of sinful flesh” (Rom. 8:3). As a result, the righteous requirements of the law can be fulfilled in us (Rom. 8:4). In other words, Christ made victory over sin - as well as meeting the positive requirements of the law - possible for those who believe, not as a means of salvation but as the result of it. Obedience to law had not been, nor ever can be, a means of salvation. This was Paul’s message and Luther’s message, and it must be ours as well.

Amen! All of this statement is exactly correct....if "meeting the positive requirements of the law" means obeying he law.


Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, December 2.


Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.

Richard Myers

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Re: SDA Sabbath School Lesson 9--4th Quarter 2017--No Condemnation
« Reply #6 on: November 25, 2017, 08:52:40 AM »
Sunday November 26

In Jesus Christ

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit” (Rom. 8:1). What does “no condemnation” mean? No condemnation from what? And why is this such good news?

“In Christ Jesus” is a common phrase in the Pauline writings. For a person to be “in” Christ Jesus means that he or she has accepted Christ as his or her Savior. The person trusts Him implicitly and has decided to make Christ’s way of life his or her own way. The result is a close personal union with Christ.

“In Christ Jesus” is contrasted with “in the flesh.” It also is contrasted with the experience detailed in chapter 7, where Paul describes the person under conviction before his or her surrender to Christ as carnal, meaning that he or she is a slave to sin. The person is under condemnation of death (Rom. 7:11, 13, 24). He or she serves the “law of sin” (Rom. 7:23, 25). This person is in a terrible state of wretchedness (Rom. 7:24).

Amen!!


But then the person surrenders to Jesus, and an immediate change is wrought in his or her standing with God. Formerly condemned as a lawbreaker, that person now stands perfect in the sight of God, stands as if he or she had never sinned, because the righteousness of Jesus Christ completely covers that person. There is no more condemnation, not because the person is faultless, sinless, or worthy of eternal life (he or she is not!) but because Jesus’ perfect life record stands in the person’s stead; thus, there is no condemnation.

Christ kept the law perfectly. This is true, but there is more. The repentant sinner does not sin, he does not walk in the flesh, but in the Spirit. Since he is walking in the Spirit, there is no condemnation because first, Jesus has covered the past confessed and forsaken sins. Second because unknown sins are also covered if there is not willful ignorance. Thirdly, there is no known sin to cause condemnation because the repentant sinner is filled with the Holy Spirit and empowered to obey all he knows to be true.

How much better it would be if the staff would have identified the change that occurs in the life at the moment of full surrender. "But then the person surrenders to Jesus, and an immediate change is wrought in his or her standing with God." How about: when the person surrenders to Jesus, and an immediate change is wrought in his character, in his behavior?


But the good news doesn’t end there.

What frees a person from slavery to sin? Rom. 8:2.

“The law of the Spirit of life” here means Christ’s plan for saving humanity, in contrast with “the law of sin and death,” which was described in chapter 7 as the law by which sin ruled - the end of which was death. Christ’s law instead brings life and freedom.

Study the two passages more closely and you will see what Paul is teaching. In Romans seven the man was captive to sin. In Romans eight, the man is not captive to sin. What does it mean to be set free from sin? Does it mean you continue to sin? How many sins reveal a separation between man and God? How many sins does one sin when he is filled with the Holy Spirit? Do we believe in once saved always saved, or some version of it?



“Every soul that refuses to give himself to God is under the control of another power. He is not his own. He may talk of freedom, but he is in the most abject slavery. . . . While he flatters himself that he is following the dictates of his own judgment, he obeys the will of the prince of darkness. Christ came to break the shackles of sin-slavery from the soul.” - Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 466.
Are you a slave, or are you free in Christ? How can you know for sure?

Romans eight tell us how we can know. As we progress verse by verse through the first fourteen verses it will become very clear who it is that has life and who does not. If you can still say you are free from sin when you sin, then you need to prayerfully study again these fourteen verses in the context of Romans seven.

"The righteousness of the law" is "fulfilled" in who? Those "who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." How can we tell if we are walking in the Spirit or in the flesh? Then, who is not under condemnation? Since we do not know another's heart, how can we tell if one is free from sin? We do not know motives, so is it really possible to know if one is a captive to sin, or set free from sin? Is is possible, some are baptized when they are still captive to sin?  How can the church make a proper decision when voting someone into church membership?


Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.

Richard Myers

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Re: SDA Sabbath School Lesson 9--4th Quarter 2017--No Condemnation
« Reply #7 on: November 25, 2017, 08:56:36 AM »
Monday November 27

What the Law Could Not Do

However good, the “law” (the ceremonial law, the moral law, or even both) cannot do for us what we need the most, and that is to provide the means of salvation, a means of saving us from the condemnation and death that sin brings. For that, we need Jesus.

The law reveals that we are not "in Christ" when we sin. The commandment which was ordained to life brings death (condemnation) to the unrepentant sinner.


Read Romans 8:3, 4.

 8:3   For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 
 8:4   That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 


What did Christ do that the law, by its very nature, cannot do?

And, what does man do that the "righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us"?  Through the power of an indwelling Savior, he will "walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." 


God provided a remedy by “sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh,” and He “condemned sin in the flesh.” The incarnation of Christ was an important step in the plan of salvation. It is proper to exalt the Cross, but in the outworking of the plan of salvation, Christ’s life “in the likeness of sinful flesh” was extremely important, too.

As a result of what God has done in sending Christ, it is now possible for us to meet the righteous requirement of the law; that is, to do the right things that the law requires. “Under the law” (Rom. 6:14), this was impossible; “in Christ” it is now possible.

Amen! All who are truly converted, filled with the Spirit will do the right things that the law requires. If we sin a known sin, it is because we are not "in Christ." Jesus says, "Abide in me and I in you." John 15:4. It is through His representative, the Holy Spirit, that Jesus abides in all who are fully surrendered.

Yet, we must remember that doing what the law requires doesn’t mean keeping the law well enough to earn salvation.

If we kept the law perfectly, we could not earn salvation because all have sinned. One sin brings death. The only man can be saved is for Christ to have suffered and died that justice might be med and man transformed that he might be fit for heaven.


That’s not an option - never was. It means simply living the life that God enables us to live; it means a life of obedience, one in which we  “have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts” (Gal. 5:24), a life in which we reflect the character of Christ.

“Walk” in Romans 8:4 is an idiomatic expression signifying “to conduct oneself.” The word flesh here denotes the unregenerate person, whether before or after conviction. To walk after the flesh is to be controlled by selfish desires.

Amen!!


In contrast, to walk after the Spirit is to fulfill the righteous requirement of the law. Only through the help of the Holy Spirit can we meet this requirement. Only in Christ Jesus is there freedom to do what the law requires. Apart from Christ, there is no such freedom. The one who is enslaved to sin finds it impossible to do the good he or she chooses to do (see Rom. 7:15, 18).

How well are you keeping the law? Putting aside any notions of earning salvation by the law, is your life one in which the “righteousness of the law” is fulfilled? If not, why not? What kind of lame excuses are you using to rationalize your behavior?

There is no excuse for sin. But, the closer we come to Christ, the more we shall see how far we are from Him.

Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.

colporteur

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Re: SDA Sabbath School Lesson 9--4th Quarter 2017--No Condemnation
« Reply #8 on: November 25, 2017, 02:38:34 PM »
I would like to have seen the title more complete. Why not say "No Condemnation  " WHEN "?
It's easier to slow a fast horse down than to get a dead one going.

Wally

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Re: SDA Sabbath School Lesson 9--4th Quarter 2017--No Condemnation
« Reply #9 on: November 26, 2017, 03:42:07 AM »
I would like to have seen the title more complete. Why not say "No Condemnation  " WHEN "?

They could easily have taken the title from the key text:  . . .  no condemnation . . . in Christ.  It does make one wonder what point they were trying to make.

But then again, maybe I have a suspicions mind, sort of like you, cp?  ;)
So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants:  we have done that which was our duty to do.  Luke 17:10

colporteur

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Re: SDA Sabbath School Lesson 9--4th Quarter 2017--No Condemnation
« Reply #10 on: November 26, 2017, 05:27:31 AM »
I would like to have seen the title more complete. Why not say "No Condemnation  " WHEN "?

They could easily have taken the title from the key text:  . . .  no condemnation . . . in Christ.  It does make one wonder what point they were trying to make.

But then again, maybe I have a suspicions mind, sort of like you, cp?  ;)

Perhaps we are a product of the past and for good reason. :-) I always notice where there is HEAVY emphasis and where there is not.
It's easier to slow a fast horse down than to get a dead one going.

Richard Myers

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Re: SDA Sabbath School Lesson 9--4th Quarter 2017--No Condemnation
« Reply #11 on: November 26, 2017, 06:30:58 AM »
Yes, we have good reason to question what is written. The Sabbath School Quarterly has been leading the church astray from the gospel for as long as I have been in the church. Seldom does the gospel truth get presented. And, when the leaders of the Quarterly take the liberty to present the lesson themselves......we ought to be concerned.

But, if they do a good job, then we must agree. Yet, it is so contrary to what has been done in the past, that we must be careful to see if they are indeed presenting the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Maybe there has been a change in the "staff" who are said to be the ones who prepared this quarter's lessons. Maybe there has been a change in theology of the leadership at the quarterly?  There are marked improvements this quarter. On the other hand, when Jesus moved from the Holy Place to the Most Holy Place, one group followed Him, another group who were not being led by the Spirit, did not know Jesus had left. They continued to offer up prayers, they thought to God. But, another had stepped into the place where Jesus had left. He answered their prayers with much power and truth. There was no love. Satan has always used truth in which he embeds his lies that lead away from the important truth, our continual need of Jesus in order to do any good thing.

The line between truth and error is ever so fine. Satan will continue to his work of deception through false teachers and  "if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." Matthew 24:24. But, it is not possible to deceive the very elect because they are looking unto Jesus and His Word, not the wisdom of man. Jesus has sent the Comforter and He is leading the converted children of God.

Let us continue with Romans eight and see if the lesson reveals the truth about what happens when we have the Spirit, and what is our state when we do not have the Spirit. If they leave out any of first 14 verses, then we have a serious problem. We want the whole truth in context.
Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.

colporteur

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Re: SDA Sabbath School Lesson 9--4th Quarter 2017--No Condemnation
« Reply #12 on: November 26, 2017, 07:11:40 AM »


What we see is a blending of truth with subtle error. For those who are not sensitive to this they only see truth. Satan is clever enough that he opens a door and hopes people will walk through it. Those who hear another master will use the opportunity to do so often not even realizing it. When truth and error is professed together it is often the error that takes root in then soul of the person unless he sees it and braces against it. It does not have to be bulldozer type error. Termite error can and does effectively eat away at the foundation of the Christian experience.
It's easier to slow a fast horse down than to get a dead one going.

Richard Myers

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Re: SDA Sabbath School Lesson 9--4th Quarter 2017--No Condemnation
« Reply #13 on: November 26, 2017, 08:09:33 AM »
Amen, cp. Spiritual things are spiritually discerned. We must give the whole heart to Christ, then we will be better able to discern truth from error.
Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.

Richard Myers

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Re: SDA Sabbath School Lesson 9--4th Quarter 2017--No Condemnation
« Reply #14 on: November 26, 2017, 08:09:53 AM »

Tuesday November 28

The Flesh or the Spirit

“They that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace” (Rom. 8:5, 6). Dwell on these texts. What basic message comes through from them? What do they say to you about the way in which you are living your life?

Is "minding" the same as "doing"? If not, then we have a problem. Let's go back to 8:1. Who is condemned and who is not condemned? "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." We see here two truths married. Those who are "in Christ" do what? They walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." What does it mean to walk after the Spirit? If we are filled with the Spirit, what will the life look like? If we have not His Spirit, then what will the life look like? Can we find in Scripture any reference to behavior that will tell us what those who are "in Christ" will look like?  And can we find a very pointed description of the behavior manifested by those who "walk after the flesh"? If so, would it not be helpful to present this in our study of chapter eight in the Book of Romans? 

It will be informative for some to understand that the "Evangelical" gospel has made changes in their Bible in Romans 8:1. The change they made supports the lie that when "in Christ" we may sin and still be saved. That is we may walk after the flesh and still be saved. Romans 8:1 in my Bible does not allow that. It tells us who is in Christ. But, the NIV does not reveal this truth in 8:1.  "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."  They leave out the definition of who it is that is in Christ, those who walk after the Spirit. You will hear the NIV version of 8:1 quoted frequently.

Even in our church, we hear that "in Christ" our sins are covered, even if unconfessed and unforsaken.


“After,” here, is used in the sense of “according to” (Greek kata). “Mind” here means to set the mind on. One group of people sets their minds on fulfilling natural desires; the other sets their minds on the things of the Spirit, to follow His dictates. Because the mind determines actions, the two groups live and act differently.

Amen. One group sins, the other does not.


What is the carnal mind unable to do? Rom. 8:7, 8.

  8:7   Because the carnal mind [is] enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 
 8:8   So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 


To have one’s mind set on fulfilling the desires of the flesh is, in reality, to be in a state of enmity against God. One whose mind is thus set is unconcerned about doing the will of God. He or she even may be in rebellion against Him, openly flouting His law.

Paul wishes especially to emphasize that if you are apart from Christ, it is impossible to keep the law of God. Again and again Paul returns to this theme: no matter how hard one tries, apart from Christ one cannot obey the law.

Amen. So, let's be very clear, if one is not fully surrendered (converted) to Christ, he cannot obey the law. He can do no good thing apart from Christ. The carnal mind is what we come into the world with. We have a fallen nature, and if we are not converted and filled with the Holy Spirit, we cannot do any good thing.


Paul’s special purpose was to persuade the Jews that they needed more than their “Torah” (law). By their conduct they had shown that, in spite of having the divine revelation, they were guilty of the same sins of which the Gentiles were guilty (Romans 2). The lesson of all this was that they needed the Messiah. Without Him they would be slaves of sin, unable to escape its dominion.

Amen. By their conduct they had shown that they were guilty. By our conduct we reveal who we serve, who has the heart. We need Jesus all the time if we want to cease sinning. If we do not have Jesus we do not have life. To have Jesus we must be fully surrendered. Then the conduct will reveal all of the fruits of the Spirit, not one will be missing. The gospel is powerful! The blood of Jesus has power!!


This was Paul’s answer to those Jews who couldn’t understand why what God had given them in the Old Testament was no longer enough for salvation. Paul admitted that what they had been doing was all good, but that they also needed to accept the Messiah who had now come.

What ever God had given the Jews in the Old Testament was good enough for salvation. They were saved by grace in the Old Testament just as we are saved by grace today. The Jews perverted the meaning of the sacrifices. They did not see the blood of Jesus being shed for their sins. They thought their sacrifices were meritorious. Such a lie! Satan had deceived them just as he has deceived so many today.


Look at your past 24 hours. Were your deeds of the Spirit or of the flesh? What does your answer tell you about yourself? If of the flesh, what changes must you make, and how can you make them?

A very good question. What if I just murdered one person and the rest of the day I was good? What does that tell me about myself? What if I just struck the Rock once, what then? Most of us have very good characters. We don't steal, we don't hit others, we don't swear, we pay tithe, we go to church on the right day. How are we doing?  Then why has Jesus not come? What does it mean to walk in the Spirit, to mind the things of the Spirit? If we cannot answer this, then maybe we have not arrived at the truth of what it means to be a Christian.

Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.

Richard Myers

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Re: SDA Sabbath School Lesson 9--4th Quarter 2017--No Condemnation
« Reply #15 on: November 27, 2017, 07:06:50 AM »
Let's look at the question at the end of Tuesday's lesson. "Look at your past 24 hours. Were your deeds of the Spirit or of the flesh? What does your answer tell you about yourself? If of the flesh, what changes must you make, and how can you make them?" If the flesh was revealed in your life, why was it? What does it tell you? Many may not have any specific idea of what the flesh is. It is self. It appears in the life when Christ does not. Why would this happen? Where is Christ? Is He in your heart (through the Holy Spirit)? Or is He standing the door of the heart, knocking, calling to you to open the door? If you walk in the flesh, you are condemned. Who then is not condemned? Those who do not walk in the flesh, but in the Spirit. How do we know this? Because the whole Bible tells us this. Most pointedly in Romans 8:1. "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."

Want are some examples of the flesh? It is amazing we do not see this from the Book of Galatians in today's lesson.

 5:19   Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are [these]; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 
 5:20   Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 
 5:21   Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told [you] in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 


This is just a small list, but it makes the point very clearly, just as did Romans 8:1, that walking in the flesh brings condemnation, revealing a separation between man and God.

How then can we change things so we walk in the Spirit instead of the flesh? The answer is always the same, we need to give the "whole" heart to Jesus, we need to be born again of the Spirit. Then the Holy Spirit will take possession of the heart and bring with Him every one of the fruits of the Spirit, not one will be missing. This is when we walk in the flesh Spirit, when we love Jesus supremely and trust Him with all we are and all we have.

Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.

Richard Myers

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Re: SDA Sabbath School Lesson 9--4th Quarter 2017--No Condemnation
« Reply #16 on: November 27, 2017, 08:22:35 AM »

Wednesday November 29

Christ in You


What does it mean "Christ in you"? We need to answer this very plainly. There can be no mistake here, for when Christ is in us, we have salvation, when He is not, there is no salvation. "   And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." 1 John 5:11,12. How can Christ be in you? He cannot be in you literally, for He is bound by His human body and cannot be in all places at the same time. But, the Holy Spirit, His representative can be. When we are truly converted, born again, the Holy Spirit takes possession of the heart as long as we cling to Christ, as long as the heart is fully surrendered (the whole heart) to Christ. When we are abiding in Christ then He through the Spirit is in us. This is how Christ is in you. If we sin, it reveals that Christ is not in us, but He does not forsake us. He stands at the door of the heart, calling us back to Him. He wants the heart, the whole heart. We cannot serve Christ with a divided heart. We must love Him with the whole heart. "And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices." Mark 12:33.

Paul continues his theme, contrasting the two possibilities that people face in how they live: either according to the Spirit - that is, the Holy Spirit of God, which is promised to us - or according to their sinful and carnal natures. One leads to eternal life, the other to eternal death. There is no middle ground. Or as Jesus Himself said: “ ‘He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters’ ” (Matt. 12:30, NKJV). It’s hard to be plainer, or more black and white, than that.

You would think so, but Satan will quote this and still mean something else. "With me" can be twisted to allow for being with Jesus, but not having given the whole heart to Him. Thus, one is with Jesus, but still sins.


Read Romans 8:9-14.

In Romans eight beginning with verse one and going through to verse fourteen, we see a very strong point being made. If we do not acknowledge this, then we do not understand the battle we are in, we do not see the great deception that has taken hold in the church. Let's look at these verses once again in context. We will add verse 7:25 because it is actually the opening statement for these verses. Many have perverted the meaning of the verse just as Martin Luther did.

All of these verses work together to tell us who has salvation and how does not. There is a verse that is impossible to twist, especially in its context. We shall take notice that the lesson was silent on it. This is very sad, but does tell us that the truth that is revealed in this verse is not important to their understanding, for it appears to contradict their understanding and therefore what they teach. It is verse nine in chapter eight. It is very narrow and hard to misunderstand.


 7:25   I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin. 
 
Chapter 8

 8:1   [There is] therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 
 8:2   For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 
 8:3   For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 
 8:4   That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 
 8:5   For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 
 8:6   For to be carnally minded [is] death; but to be spiritually minded [is] life and peace. 
 8:7   Because the carnal mind [is] enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 
 8:8   So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 
 8:9   But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. 
 8:10   And if Christ [be] in you, the body [is] dead because of sin; but the Spirit [is] life because of righteousness. 
 8:11   But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. 
 8:12   Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. 
 8:13   For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. 
 8:14   For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 


What is promised to those who surrender themselves fully to Christ?

Eternal life. But, let's look at what Paul is really saying. He has a burden to save souls. He knows intimately what Satan had done in Israel. He so deceived the people that they put to death the Son of God. He is making sure that there is no room to misunderstand from his teaching what it means to be "in Christ." He has seen how clever Satan is and how deceived the leaders had been. He is attempting to tell us how we can know when we or someone else is "in Christ."

The lesson does not address Romans 8:9, even though it makes mention of it. 


The life “in the flesh” is contrasted with life “in the Spirit.” The life “in the Spirit” is controlled by the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit. He is in this chapter called the Spirit of Christ, perhaps in the sense that He is a representative of Christ, and through Him Christ dwells in the believer (Rom. 8:9, 10).

When does the Spirit dwell in the believer? Is He in the heart when the "believer" sins? How can we tell if He is in the believer? What does verse 8:9 mean? "But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His." It’s hard to be plainer, or more black and white, than that. But, again, Satan does not rest. He takes a lot of truth and then perverts it.

How can we tell if we have not His Spirit? We walk in the flesh. Simple, is it not? Yet, many will still object because they have been taught otherwise. They believe they have life when they sin, walk in the flesh. What does Jesus have to say about this? Can we have life if we walk in the flesh?  He says "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again." John 3:6,7.

And, when God sent a prophet into the church, what did she say about walking in the Spirit? "When we live by faith on the Son of God, the fruits of the Spirit will be seen in our lives; not one will be missing." The Desire of Ages, pg 676.


In these verses, Paul returns to a figure he used in Romans 6:1-11. Figuratively, in baptism “the body of sin” - that is, the body that served sin - is destroyed. The “old man is crucified with him” (Rom. 6:6). But, as in baptism, there is not only a burial but also a resurrection, so the person baptized rises to walk in the newness of life. This means to put to death the old self, a choice that we have to, of ourselves, make day by day, moment by moment. God does not destroy human freedom. Even after the old man of sin is destroyed, it still is possible to sin. To the Colossians Paul wrote, “Mortify [put to death] therefore your members which are upon the earth” (Col. 3:5). Thus, after conversion there still will be a struggle against sin. The difference is that the person in whom the Spirit dwells now has divine power for victory. Furthermore, because the person has been so miraculously freed from the slave master of sin, he or she is obligated never to serve sin again.

"Obligated to never sin again"?  How can that be? The lesson has led us to believe we cannot be sinless, nor faultless, nor perfect. So how can we be obligated to never sin again? I guess obligated has be redefined? Yes, we can sin, but something must happen to the true believer before he will sin. If the Spirit is in the heart, he will not sin. But, if he lets his mind wander away from Christ, then the Spirit will not stay in the heart. Then the believer has no power to not sin. We must, as the lesson says, moment by moment" choose to cling to Christ. It is only when we abide in Him and He in us, through the Spirit that we will not sin. And if we wander away, then we will sin. 


Dwell on this idea that the Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from death, is the same one dwelling in us if we allow Him to. Think about the power that is there for us! What keeps us from availing ourselves of it as we should?

How can we avail ourselves of Him if He is not in us? If He is there, then we have the power to resist sin. We will not sin if we are living for Christ at the moment. If we allow our minds to wander away from Him, then He is not there to help us. We must re-connect with Him. He is not far away. He stands at the door of the heart, knocking. Why not let Him in?

Think of the lamp and the plug. The power is close by, but if the lamp is not plugged in, then there will be no light. The power is close by, but it does no good until it is plugged in. The power is available to those who are not in Christ, but we must first make a full surrender before we have the power. To think that we will not sin, when apart from Christ is faulty thinking. When the temptation comes, and we are not abiding in Christ, we will sin, for we have no power. We must put the horse in front of the cart before we will glorify God. We will not resist sin if Jesus is standing at the door of the heart. We must let Him in, then we will have power to resist all temptation that comes to us. "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God [is] faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." 1 Cor. 10:13.
 
This is the simplicity of the gospel. A child may understand.  But, those long in "religion" have been so filled with error that it is not easy to pull up the weeds that block the reception of truth. The Holy Spirit will lead all into truth if they love Jesus supremely. If they do not, then the first work is to learn of Him who gave all for us while we were yet sinners. Then when we are fully surrendered it will be "Christ in you" that will empower you to not sin.
Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.

Glen

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Re: SDA Sabbath School Lesson 9--4th Quarter 2017--No Condemnation
« Reply #17 on: November 30, 2017, 06:57:06 AM »
As evil and wicked as we are in the flesh, grace has power to bring us to repentance and keep us from hurting Jesus and others. Let us look unto Jesus that by beholding His character we might be changed into His image.

Certainly; until we receive our heavenly body, it is possible to be "in the flesh"; however, the true Believer will constantly crucify the affections and lusts of the flesh, thereby abiding "in the Spirit": For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. 2 Corinthian 4:11 It is by continual surrender of the will, by continual obedience, that the blessing of justification is retained. 1SM 397

Would it not be the safer plan, my brethren and sisters, to keep the commandments of God in the spirit and in the letter? Obedience to the first four, in which is enjoined supreme love for God, will lead us to love our neighbor as ourselves; “for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?” It is because so many members of the church do not bring the commandments of God into the daily life that there is so little of the love of God manifested one toward another. And the absence of this love makes the church weak and inefficient. . The Review and Herald November 17, 1896, Art. A paragraph 10


Spirit and the Letter of the Law:
Spirit of the Law=obedience to the first four of the 10 Commandments
Letter of the Law=obedience to the last six of the 10 Commandments


...if we consent, (Christ) will so identify Himself with our thoughts and aims, so blend our hearts and minds into conformity to His will, that when obeying Him we shall be but carrying out our own impulses. The will, refined and sanctified, will find its highest delight in doing His service. When we know God as it is our privilege to know Him, our life will be a life of continual obedience. Through an appreciation of the character of Christ, through communion with God, sin will become hateful to us. The Desire of Ages p. 668
...Jesus...will live through (YOU), giving (YOU) the inspiration of His sanctifying Spirit, imparting to (YOUR) soul a vital transfusion of Himself. Sabbath-School Worker 02-01-96.03  ...as the blood

Richard Myers

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Re: SDA Sabbath School Lesson 9--4th Quarter 2017--No Condemnation
« Reply #18 on: December 01, 2017, 05:43:31 AM »
Good morning, Brother Glen. What meaneth "the letter killeth"?  2 Cor. 3:6.
Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.

Glen

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Re: SDA Sabbath School Lesson 9--4th Quarter 2017--No Condemnation
« Reply #19 on: December 01, 2017, 05:48:42 PM »
How then can we change things so we walk in the Spirit instead of the flesh? The answer is always the same, we need to give the "whole" heart to Jesus, we need to be born again of the Spirit. Then the Holy Spirit will take possession of the heart and bring with Him every one of the fruits of the Spirit, not one will be missing. This is when we walk in the flesh, when we love Jesus supremely and trust Him with all we are and all we have.

I'm trying to wrap my mind around your comment that:  "...when we walk in the flesh...we love Jesus supremely and trust Him with all we are and all we have.

I would respond that walking day by day fully submitted to God that "the life...of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. 2 Corinthians 4:11 is entirely different than "when we walk in the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. Galatians 5:17. Walking in the Spirit is to have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts... Galatians 5:24, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. 2 Corinthians 4:11. As partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 2 Peter 1:4.
...Jesus...will live through (YOU), giving (YOU) the inspiration of His sanctifying Spirit, imparting to (YOUR) soul a vital transfusion of Himself. Sabbath-School Worker 02-01-96.03  ...as the blood