SDA Sabbath School Lesson 9--4th Quarter 2017--No Condemnation

[Richard Myers]

Thank you, Glen. It was a typo.  Think one thing and type another.     Thanks for catching it. I will amend it.

[Glen]

What meaneth "the letter killeth"?  2 Cor. 3:6.

In Romans 7:10 we read what Paul declared in his description of his experience without Christ, that: the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. In verse 25 he summarizes the fact that ...with the (carnal) mind I myself (alone, left to my "self", yet without Christ) serve the law of God; but with (and in) the flesh the law of sin; (as) not subject to the law of God Romans 8:7 (thereby;) sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived (him), and by it slew (him). The Law of God, as truly holy...and just, and good Romans 7:12, the very foundation of God's government that it is, cannot save or uplift mankind without the infilling of the Spirit of God, which is the impartation of the life of Christ, the Spirit of the Law, of LOVE. As Christ declares: It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. John 6:63

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. The Faith I Live By p. 57

The law is an expression of God's idea. When we receive it in Christ, it becomes our idea. It (the law) lifts us above the power of natural desires and tendencies, above temptations that lead to sin. “Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them” (Psalm 119:165)—cause them to stumble.  The Faith I Live By, p. 83.6 -THIS is what it means to keep the Spirit AND the Letter, of the Law. When we receive the Letter of the Law as it is in Christ, it becomes our idea. Then, the law (as God's spoken WORD) lifts us above the power of natural desires and tendencies, above temptations that lead to sin. Thus, the Believer, while "weak in the flesh", becomes strong in Christ's abiding Spirit Romans 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 3For 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: 4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

All outward appearance of piety is, through spiritual pride, only violating both the spirit and the letter of the law. (see The Review and Herald February 22, 1898 paragraph 3) All attempts at right living, without God's sanctifying, abiding Spirit, are exposed and condemned by the Law of God, as Sin; the wages of which, are eternal death.

When God spoke the Law on Mt. Sinai, His Spirit was present just as it was at Creation when God said, "Let there be light". Had the people replied with true repentance, "Be it unto us even as Thou has spoken", they would have run the race, valiantly finishing their course across the Jordan into Canaan in that generation. Had they received God's intent through Moses, they might have made their Trip from Egypt to Canaan within a mere 11 days!

[Richard Myers]

Thursday November 30

The Spirit of Adoption

How does Paul describe the new relationship in Christ? Rom. 8:15.

"For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father." 

What hope is found in this promise for us? How do we make it real in our lives?

We learn of Him who gave all for us. We behold Him daily, we talk with Him unceasingly. We die daily. We yield the who heart to Christ and allow the Spirit to take possession of it. In other words we become converted and die to self.

The new relationship is described as freedom from fear. A slave is in bondage. He lives in a state of constant fear of his master. He stands to gain nothing from his long years of service.

Not so with the one who accepts Jesus Christ. First, he or she renders voluntary service. Second, he or she serves without fear, for “perfect love casteth out fear” (1 John 4:18). Third, adopted as a child, he or she becomes heir to an inheritance of infinite worth.

“The spirit of bondage is engendered by seeking to live in accordance with legal religion, through striving to fulfill the claims of the law in our own strength. There is hope for us only as we come under the Abrahamic covenant, which is the covenant of grace by faith in Christ Jesus.” - Ellen G. White Comments, The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 6, p. 1077.

Amen! And when we allow Christ to take possession of the heart, we then are partakers of His divine nature and escape the corruption that remains in our flesh. We then through Christ keep the commandments of God from the cleansed heart.

What gives us the assurance that God has indeed accepted us as children? Rom. 8:16.

The inward witness of the Spirit confirms our acceptance. While it is not safe to go by feeling merely, those who have followed the light of the Word to the best of their understanding will hear an inward authenticating voice assuring them that they have been accepted as children of God.

Indeed, Romans 8:17 tells us that we are heirs; that is, we are part of the family of God, and as heirs, as children, we receive a wonderful inheritance from our Father. We don’t earn it; it is given to us by virtue of our new status in God, a status granted to us through His grace, which has been made available to us because of the death of Jesus in our behalf.

Yes, it was made available, but who is it that has this wonderful inheritance? It is those who are filled with the Holy Spirit and walk in the Spirit and manifest all of the fruits of the Spirit.


How close are you to the Lord? Do you really know Him, or just about Him? What changes must you make in your life in order to have a closer walk with your Creator and Redeemer? What holds you back, and why?

What, no commentary in Romans verses 13 and 14? Why not?   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.  For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 

Who are the sons of God? This week we are studying condemnation. It would be better to have titled the study "Conversion."  Romans seven is the unconverted man when convicted of sin. Romans 8:1-14 tells us who it is that is converted. Verse one starts out saying who is not condemned, leaving a knowledge of who is condemned. Again, who according to the first 14 verses are the Sons of God?

[Richard Myers]

Friday December 1

Further Thought: “The plan of salvation does not offer believers a life free from suffering and trial this side of the kingdom. On the contrary, it calls upon them to follow Christ in the same path of self-denial and reproach. . . . It is through such trial and persecution that the character of Christ is reproduced and revealed in His people. . . . By sharing in the sufferings of Christ we are educated and disciplined and made ready to share in the glories of the hereafter.” - The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 6, pp. 568, 569.

Amen! What a contrast between this statement and what we did not see in the Sabbath school lessons when we studied the book of Jobe. Has the editor of our quarterly had an epiphany? What a blessing to read that we glory in our tribulation, for tribulation worketh patience, and patience experience. In other words God allows trials to come to us for our good and His glory, when we are truly abiding in Him and He and us.

“The chain that has been let down from the throne of God is long enough to reach to the lowest depths. Christ is able to lift the most sinful out of the pit of degradation, and to place them where they will be acknowledged as children of God, heirs with Christ to an immortal inheritance.” - Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 7, p. 229.

“One honored of all heaven came to this world to stand in human nature at the head of humanity, testifying to the fallen angels and to the inhabitants of the unfallen worlds that through the divine help which has been provided, every one may walk in the path of obedience to God’s commands. . . .

“Our ransom has been paid by our Saviour. No one need be enslaved by Satan. Christ stands before us as our all-powerful helper.” - Ellen G. White, Selected Messages, book 1, p. 309.

Sound like God can tell who are His by their works. Is this true? When the books are opened in the Investigative Judgment, what is written? Why are the books opened? What will be seen in the books of those who are judged worthy of heaven?
Discussion Questions:

    Read again the quotes from Ellen G. White in Friday’s study. What hope can we take from them for ourselves? More important, how can we make these promises of victory real in our own lives? Why, with so much offered to us in Christ, do we keep on falling far short of what we really could be?

Why does one fall? What does it mean to fall? Let's put it so all can understand. Why does one sin? Because he is separated from the Holy Spirit. Jesus no longer has possession of the heart. "Short of what we really cold be?" How about condemned when we need not be? The wages of sin is death. God gives us temporal life that we might be transformed and be saved. We need Jesus all the time, not some of the time. Anyone who thinks they can walk on water with their eyes off of Christ has been greatly deceived. We need Jesus to do any good thing.

    What are practical, daily ways you can have your mind “set . . . on the things of the Spirit” (Rom. 8:5, RSV). What does that mean? What does the Spirit desire? What do you watch, read, or think about that makes this difficult to achieve in your life?

It means that we must guard the avenues of the mind. We must keep the mind on Christ. We must maintain our connection with Him if we want to be His, the sons of God.

    Dwell more on this idea that we are either on one side or the other in the great controversy, with no middle ground. What are the implications of that stark, cold fact?

We are either lost or saved, we cannot serve two masters at the same time. Yet, many think they can sin (serve Satan) and still be the sons of God.    How can you tell which side you are on right now?

How should the realization of this important truth impact the ways in which we live and the choices we make, even in the “small” things?

It ought to awaken us to our continual need of Jesus if we want to honor Him. Do we love Him supremely, or part way? How can we tell? Who has the heart? Who do we want to talk about? When we allow the mind to wander away from Jesus, we lose our protection against sin. Let us hold fast to our Savior that we might give honor and glory to Him. Then we shall be condemned to death, eternal death.

[Glen]

Romans 8:1-14 tells us who it is that is converted. Verse one starts out saying who is not condemned, leaving a knowledge of who is condemned. Again, who according to the first 14 verses are the Sons of God?

Those only whom God has quickened...builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. Ephesians 2:1, 22 are the Sons of God.

...by partaking of the Word of God, Christians obtain an experience that is after the divine similitude. When Christ abides in the heart by faith, the Christian is the temple of God. Christ does not abide in the heart of the sinner, but in the heart of him who is susceptible to the influences of heaven.


The light that shines forth from the life of the true Christian testifies to his union with Christ. Self is hidden from view, and Christ is revealed. The Signs of the Times August 16, 1905 paragraph 2, 3

By His perfect obedience He has made it possible for every human being to obey God's commandments. When we submit ourselves to Christ, the heart is united with His heart, the will is merged in His will, the mind becomes one with His mind, the thoughts are brought into captivity to Him; we live His life. The Life I Live By p. 113

[Richard Myers]

Amen, Glen. It is through the Spirit that we become the Sons of God. The third person of the godhead takes up residency in the hearts of all who will yield up self to Christ. It is by grace that the heart is broken and we are saved. We must behold that grace in order to avail ourselves of it.

If we want to understand "condemnation", let us learn this verse of Scripture: "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." Romans 8:9. Very simple to understand, yet so many do not understand, and many do not want to acknowledge this truth. It is too narrow a way to heaven.

[Glen]

Amen!

Luke 11:
33 No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light.
34 The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness.
35 Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness.
36 If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light

One may profess Christ, enjoy full membership in the Church, and know the whole Bible by memory, and spend an hour every day repeating the 10 Commandments; but if the will is not wholly submitted to God, the soul is still in gross darkness.