Fourth Quarter--2012--SDA SS LESSON 4--Salvation--The Only Solution

[Wally]

Lesson 4 *October 20-26

Salvation: The Only Solution

SABBATH AFTERNOON

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 the solution was big enough to solve it.

The “sin problem” refers to the crisis caused by the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, which brought to the earth the great controversy between good and evil. God’s part in the controversy has been to stop, and ultimately eliminate, the deleterious effects of sin, not just on the earth but on the creation as a whole. God’s action to rescue the creation from the destructive results of sin constitutes the doctrine of salvation. And though that battle, at least in terms of salvation, does play out here on earth, the great controversy motif has shown us that the issues are, literally, universal.

The doctrine of salvation primarily concerns God and His work to save us, of course. But humanity has an important role too. Yes, God has made an incredible provision for the salvation of the human race. Our crucial part comes in the answering of the question, What will be our response to that provision? On that answer, the eternal destiny of souls truly hinges.

*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, October 27.

SUNDAY October 21

The Scope of the Problem

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 have you experienced it yourself or seen around you the reality of these texts?

John 2:25
Ps. 59:2 Jer. 17:9 Rom. 5:12 James 5:1-7 Isa. 5:23 2 Thess. 2:10

Who among us hasn’t known deeply, personally, and painfully, just how bad the sin problem is? We live every moment of our lives with the reality of sin and its effects. Every aspect of human existence on this planet is, to some degree (a great one, in fact), dominated by the reality of sin. From politics to the innermost recesses of the human heart, sin has infected the race. It is so bad that, without a divine solution, there would be no solution. How grateful we should be that the solution has been given. It’s called “the plan of salvation,” and its purpose is to solve the problem of sin.

MONDAY October 22

God’s Provision: Part 1

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 that He would have to suffer, yet He became man’s substitute. As soon as Adam sinned, the Son of God presented Himself as surety for the human race, with just as much power to avert the doom pronounced upon the guilty as when He died upon the cross of Calvary.”-Ellen G. White Comments, The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 1, p. 1084.

What do the following texts tell us about the plan of salvation and when it was established? What great hope and promise can we take from them the texts ourselves?

Titus 1:1-2
Eph. 1:3-5 2 Thess. 2:13-14 Rev. 13:8

Dwell on the implications of these texts. What are they saying? Basically, from eternity, provisions had been made by God for the problem of sin. Though God did not foreordain that sin would occur (if He had, He would be responsible for it, a horrific and blasphemous idea), He knew that it would, so back in eternity He made the provision to meet it.

This is biblical predestination, which is radically different from “predestination” as commonly understood. It was God’s plan, from eternity, that all human beings would have salvation in Jesus. The fact that some reject this salvation doesn’t annul the force or the broadness of the provision. It only adds to the tragedy of what it means to be lost in the face of what has been done for us.

Dwell on the amazing truth that, from eternity, God’s plan was for you, personally, to have salvation. Think about what that means. In what way should a truth like this impact your life?

[Wally]

TUESDAY October 23

God’s Provision: Part 2

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 seriousness of the sin problem can, perhaps, be best understood only when we grasp just what it took-the Cross-in order for it to be solved. The Cross alone proves the utter futility of humanity to solve the sin problem by itself. An extreme situation called for an extreme solution, and the death of Christ, God bearing in Himself our sins, is about as extreme a measure as could possibly be imagined.

Christ’s sacrificial death is presented in Scripture as an atonement for sin, i.e., the means by which the sin problem in all its manifestations is ultimately dealt with. How does the death of Christ provide for man’s need of salvation? Explore this question from the following perspectives:

1. Justification/Reconciliation (right standing before God): See Luke 18:9-14; Isa. 53:4-7; Rom. 3:19-24, 28; Zech. 3:1-4.

2. Sanctification/Regeneration (living right before God): See 1 Cor. 6:8-11, Rom. 6:1-8.

3. Glorification (assurance of resurrection to eternal life): See John 5:24-25; 1 John 5:9-13; 1 Thess. 4:16-17.

Dwell more on the fact that sin is so bad that it took the Cross to save us from the ultimate results, eternal death. How should keeping the Cross before us at all times be a deterrent to sin?

WEDNESDAY October 24

The Experience of Salvation: Part 1

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 have a theoretical knowledge about justification. We need to experience what it means for ourselves.

Acts 2:36-38 and Acts 3:19 bring up repentance as the beginning of the sinner’s experience of salvation. How does the nature of repentance as a feeling of remorse help us to connect the experience of justification with the death of Christ?

Ponder the following comment: “Nothing so touches the depths of the soul as a sense of Christ’s pardoning love. When sinners contemplate this unfathomable divine love, displayed on the cross, they receive the most powerful motivation possible to repent. This is the goodness of God that leads us to repentance (Rom. 2:4).”-Ministerial Association of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, Seventh-day Adventists Believe, (Nampa, Idaho: Pacific Press® Publishing Association, 2005), pp. 135, 136.

Read Romans 3:23-25 and Ephesians 2:8. What is the role of faith in the experience of justification?

We are told in the Bible that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God (Rom. 10:17). We have also seen that contemplating the love of Christ motivates a person to repentance. Repentance, then, is not the special prerogative of a privileged few. In view of these facts, the importance of the study and the contemplation of God’s Word in the experience of justification cannot be overemphasized.

It is the goodness of God that leads to repentance and justification. Thus, if I should repent of sin and experience justification, God is the one to receive the credit. Salvation, then, is truly a gracious gift from God, for, indeed, it is by grace through faith that we are saved (Eph. 2:8 ).

What are some tangible and practical ways in which you may flood your heart and mind with the goodness of God, especially as you think of what He has done for you and what He has spared you from?

[Wally]

THURSDAY October 25

The Experience of Salvation: Part 2

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 new experience is the reality that, no matter our past, no matter our sins, no matter how faulty and wrong we have been, we can stand pardoned, forgiven, and cleansed before God.

Think through what this means. Christ’s death covers all sin, even the worst; no matter how much your own heart might condemn you (1 John 3:20), when you surrender yourself to Christ, in faith, and accept His perfect life instead of your own “filthy rags” (Isa. 64:6), then you are at that moment covered in Christ’s righteousness. His perfect life is credited to you as if it were yours. Talk about a gift, especially to a sinner!

The question is, How can something like this happen to a person and that person not be radically changed? That change, often called the “new birth,” is part and parcel of the experience of salvation.

Read the texts in the above paragraphs and summarize their teachings about justification and the way in which we experience it in our own lives.

The experience of forgiveness ends the sinner’s vulnerability to God’s wrath and clears away any barriers to reconciliation and fellowship between God and humans. A new life opens up for the sinner, who has the privilege of living in fellowship with Christ under the direction and guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Repentance is the prerequisite for entering into the experience of forgiveness and justification, and it comes accompanied by confession and baptism (Acts 2:38, 1 John 1:9). This helps to explain the fact that although forgiveness is available to all, not all will be forgiven.

Where would you be if you couldn’t lean on the promise, every moment of your life, that your acceptance with God is based on what Jesus has done for you, and not on yourself or your own performance and law-keeping?

FRIDAY October 26

Further Study

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 silence through times eternal’ (Rom. 16:25, R.V.). It was an unfolding of the principles that from eternal ages have been the foundation of God’s throne. . . . God did not ordain that sin should exist, but He foresaw its existence, and made provision to meet the terrible emergency. So great was His love for the world, that He covenanted to give His only-begotten Son, ‘that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ ”-Ellen G. White, God’s Amazing Grace, p. 23.

Discussion Questions

    Think about how bad sin must be that it took the death of the Creator Himself to solve it. What does the Cross reveal to us about the utter inability of humanity to save itself? What do we think we could add to what has already been done for us?

    Some believe in what is called the “subjective atonement,” the idea that nothing about the Cross changed our standing with God. Rather, the whole point of the Cross was, they claim, to change our attitude about God, nothing more. What’s terribly deficient about such a theology? What does it say about the problem of sin if all it would take is an “attitude adjustment” on our part to solve it?

    How possible is it to have a good deal of knowledge about salvation and yet not the experience of it? What do you make of Ellen White’s comment that “Consecration to God must be a living, practical matter; not a theory to be talked about, but a principle interwoven with all our experience”?-Our High Calling, p. 243. How do we, on a daily and practical level, live out the experience of salvation?

    Dwell on the role of salvation in the context of the great controversy. Why does Satan want to keep as many people as possible from having salvation in Jesus? What are the means he uses against us, and how can we defend ourselves against them?

[Richard Myers]

SABBATH AFTERNOON

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 whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16.

Key Thought: The sin problem is very big; how thankful we should be that the solution was big enough to solve it.

The “sin problem” refers to the crisis caused by the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, which brought to the earth the great controversy between good and evil. God’s part in the controversy has been to stop, and ultimately eliminate, the deleterious effects of sin, not just on the earth but on the creation as a whole. God’s action to rescue the creation from the destructive results of sin constitutes the doctrine of salvation. And though that battle, at least in terms of salvation, does play out here on earth, the great controversy motif has shown us that the issues are, literally, universal.

Amen!  But, the "sin problem" actually began not on earth, but in heaven when Lucifer sinned and caused one third of the angels to sin also. Since it effected so greatly holy beings who had been in existence a long time and had a greater knowledge of God than newly created Adam and Eve, it was a very large problem, one that had a tremendous effect on the whole universe.

The doctrine of salvation primarily concerns God and His work to save us, of course. But humanity has an important role too. Yes, God has made an incredible provision for the salvation of the human race. Our crucial part comes in the answering of the question, What will be our response to that provision? On that answer, the eternal destiny of souls truly hinges.

Amen. God does not do it all. God has done His part which is immeasurably large. We must do our part which is immeasurably small. We must make a full surrender of our sin polluted hearts so that God can cleanse them. He wants to live in us through the Holy Spirit. Before He can do this, we need to learn of Him and trust Him to take control of our lives. That is the only solution to the sin problem in my life and in your life. We must let go and let Jesus take control. To do this, we need to believe in Him with the whole heart, with all of our strength. We must know Him, we must trust Him completely. If we do, then we have done our part. It does not end there, that is the beginning of a new life, of conversion. Sanctification, growing in grace, is a daily experience and continues as long as a person's life shall last. Conversion must happen daily, moment by moment. We must die daily and remain in a fully surrendered state to retain salvation, our justification before God.

We will be looking more into this solution for the sin problem in this week's lesson. It is a most important, THE most important, subject for us to understand. Our need of Jesus continually.

[Richard Myers]

SUNDAY October 21

The Scope of the Problem

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.

Yes, we have already indicated that the "sin problem" extends far beyond this planet and involves the whole universe. This is most important that we be able to answer important questions for those who do not understand who God is. Many want to know why a God who we say is all powerful allows innocent children to be hurt in the manner we too often see. We have those answers as we understand the nature of the "sin problem" and its solution.

What do the following texts reveal about the scope of the sin problem? How have you experienced it yourself or seen around you the reality of these texts?

John 2:25
And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.

Ps. 59:2
Deliver me from the workers of iniquity, and save me from bloody men. 

Jer. 17:9
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? 

Rom. 5:12
Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. 

James 5:1-7
  5:1   Go to now, [ye] rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon [you]. 
  5:2   Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. 
  5:3   Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. 
  5:4   Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth. 
  5:5   Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. 
  5:6   Ye have condemned [and] killed the just; [and] he doth not resist you. 
  5:7   Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. 

Isa. 5:23
Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him! 

2 Thess. 2:10
And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 

Who among us hasn’t known deeply, personally, and painfully, just how bad the sin problem is? We live every moment of our lives with the reality of sin and its effects. Every aspect of human existence on this planet is, to some degree (a great one, in fact), dominated by the reality of sin. From politics to the innermost recesses of the human heart, sin has infected the race. It is so bad that, without a divine solution, there would be no solution. How grateful we should be that the solution has been given. It’s called “the plan of salvation,” and its purpose is to solve the problem of sin.

Yes, before we can see the need for a solution, we must correctly diagnose the problem. There can be no cure for the disease until the patient understands that he is sick. Sadly, too many in professing Christian churches, many in the world, and even in our church do  not believe they are sick, do not believe they are dead in their sins. Why not? Because they have been taught that they are not dead in sins. It is the most popular teaching that one has salvation when they sin. Most believe they are "rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked." What a sad state to be in.

So, Sunday's lesson is most important. We need to know the difference between life and death, between health and sickness, between saved and lost. If we believe we are alive when we are dead, what a deception! That is the case for a great portion of professing Christians. The wages of sin is death. It always has been and always will be. Don't attempt to do away with the simple truth of Scripture. "But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."  Romans 6:22,23.

If we have Jesus, we have life. "If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." Romans 8:9. The path to heaven is a narrow path. All may follow it, but few choose to.
 

[Richard Myers]

MONDAY October 22

God’s Provision: Part 1

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 that He would have to suffer, yet He became man’s substitute. As soon as Adam sinned, the Son of God presented Himself as surety for the human race, with just as much power to avert the doom pronounced upon the guilty as when He died upon the cross of Calvary.”-Ellen G. White Comments, The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 1, p. 1084.

What do the following texts tell us about the plan of salvation and when it was established? What great hope and promise can we take from them the texts ourselves?

Titus 1:1-2
  1:1   Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness; 
  1:2   In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began; 

Eph. 1:3-5
  1:3   Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly [places] in Christ: 
  1:4   According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 
  1:5   Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 

2 Thess. 2:13-14
  2:13   But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: 
  2:14   Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Rev. 13:8
 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. 

Dwell on the implications of these texts. What are they saying? Basically, from eternity, provisions had been made by God for the problem of sin. Though God did not foreordain that sin would occur (if He had, He would be responsible for it, a horrific and blasphemous idea), He knew that it would, so back in eternity He made the provision to meet it.

Amen!  We are told that the "the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world" Rev. 13:8, is Jesus Christ and it was because He had submitted to this that we can live. Not only are we granted a period of temporal life called probation, but we may be granted eternal life even though we deserve death. Imagine living forever in a world without sin!!

This is biblical predestination, which is radically different from “predestination” as commonly understood. It was God’s plan, from eternity, that all human beings would have salvation in Jesus. The fact that some reject this salvation doesn’t annul the force or the broadness of the provision. It only adds to the tragedy of what it means to be lost in the face of what has been done for us.

Dwell on the amazing truth that, from eternity, God’s plan was for you, personally, to have salvation. Think about what that means. In what way should a truth like this impact your life?

We like the idea that God has always wanted us to have salvation, but I think the part that really makes a difference in our lives is the revelation of the cost paid that we might have salvation. We are saved by grace. That grace must be seen, it must be accepted. It is the transforming power that changes a sinner into a saint. It is the price paid for me while yet a sinner. God did not wait for me to choose Him, He did not wait for me to become good, no, He allowed His innocent Son to come to this dark world to suffer and die for me while I was yet a sinner!! This is grace. This is the love of God for a world dead in trespasses and sins. This we must learn, this we must dwell upon. It is by beholding this great love that we shall be changed into His image from glory to glory! This is the provision that God has made for you and for me!

[Richard Myers]

TUESDAY October 23

God’s Provision: Part 2

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.

Amen!!  I appreciate the author pointing us to Genesis 3:15.  "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel."  He stated that it is "the first gospel promise". Notice that he said it was a "promise". Indeed it is. It was not only a promise of Jesus, but it was the promise to change the heart of guilty man. While man is fallen by nature, that is we have fallen flesh and will have until by God's grace we are glorified, we may become a partaker of the divine nature and escape the corruption that is in our flesh. We may be reconciled to God and be given power to resist the pull of  our sinful flesh. We may be restored to the image of God in our character, our behavior. Our hearts may be purified, cleansed from their selfishness.  This is the promise made in Genesis 3:15. God will, if we let Him, put a hatred for sin into our hearts, a hatred that does not exist until we are converted.

The seriousness of the sin problem can, perhaps, be best understood only when we grasp just what it took-the Cross-in order for it to be solved. The Cross alone proves the utter futility of humanity to solve the sin problem by itself. An extreme situation called for an extreme solution, and the death of Christ, God bearing in Himself our sins, is about as extreme a measure as could possibly be imagined.

Christ’s sacrificial death is presented in Scripture as an atonement for sin, i.e., the means by which the sin problem in all its manifestations is ultimately dealt with. How does the death of Christ  provide for man’s need of salvation? Explore this question from the following perspectives:

1. Justification/Reconciliation (right standing before God): See

Luke 18:9-14
  18:9   And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 
  18:10   Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. 
  18:11   The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men [are], extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. 
  18:12   I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. 
  18:13   And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as [his] eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. 
  18:14   I tell you, this man went down to his house justified [rather] than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. 

Isa. 53:4-7
  53:4   Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 
  53:5   But he [was] wounded for our transgressions, [he was] bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace [was] upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 
  53:6   All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. 
  53:7   He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. 
 
Rom. 3:19-24, 28
  3:19   Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 
  3:20   Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law [is] the knowledge of sin. 
  3:21   But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 
  3:22   Even the righteousness of God [which is] by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 
  3:23   For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 
  3:24   Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 
  3:28   Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. 

Zech. 3:1-4.
  3:1   And he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. 
  3:2   And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: [is] not this a brand plucked out of the fire? 
  3:3   Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel. 
  3:4   And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment. 

2. Sanctification/Regeneration (living right before God): See

1 Cor. 6:8-11
  6:8   Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that [your] brethren. 
  6:9   Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 
  6:10   Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 
  6:11   And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. 

Rom. 6:1-8.
  6:1   What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 
  6:2   God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? 
  6:3   Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 
  6:4   Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 
  6:5   For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also [in the likeness] of [his] resurrection: 
  6:6   Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with [him], that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. 
  6:7   For he that is dead is freed from sin. 
  6:8   Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: 

3. Glorification (assurance of resurrection to eternal life): See

John 5:24-25
  5:24   Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. 
  5:25   Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. 

1 John 5:9-13
  5:9   If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son. 
  5:10   He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. 
  5:11   And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 
  5:12   He that hath the Son hath life; [and] he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. 
  5:13   These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. 

1 Thess. 4:16-17.
  4:16   For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 
  4:17   Then we which are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 

Dwell more on the fact that sin is so bad that it took the Cross to save us from the ultimate results, eternal death. How should keeping the Cross before us at all times be a deterrent to sin?

There are many deterrents to sin, outward sin. But, there is only one deterrent to sin that comes from the heart,  a new heart. Man must be cleansed from the inside out. Until the heart is purified, the outward actions can never be holy. All fallen man can do apart from God is tainted with sin. But, through Christ we can do all things. How then does the cross save us from the ultimate result of sin, eternal death? To many this remains a mystery. Most see it one of two ways. Either what Christ did is why I shall be saved from eternal death, or if I do not sin, I will not die eternally. Neither is the real truth. Both are true statements to a degree, but without clarification, the beliefs of both these doctrinal positions will not keep one from eternal death.

The reason that the Lord can do so little for those who are handling weighty truths is that so many hold these truths apart from their life. They hold them in unrighteousness. Their hands are not clean, their hearts are defiled with sin, and should the Lord work for them in the power of His Spirit corresponding with the magnitude of the truth which He has opened to the understanding, it would be as though the Lord sanctioned sin. 

That which our people must have interwoven with their life and character is the unfolding of the plan of redemption and more elevated conceptions of God and His holiness, brought into the life. The washing of the robes of character in the blood of the Lamb is a work that we must attend to earnestly while every defect of character is to be put away. Thus are we working out our own salvation with fear and trembling. The Lord is working in us to will and to do of His good pleasure. We need Jesus abiding in the heart, a constant living wellspring; then the streams flowing from the living fountain will be pure, sweet, and heavenly. Then the foretaste of heaven will be given to the humble in heart.

In order to avoid eternal death, we must be born again of His Spirit. It is the only deterrent to sin and death which so easily beset us. We are captives to the law of sin and death which is in our members. We must become partakers of God's divine nature if we are to claim God's promise that we will not be tempted beyond what we can bear. Until that happens, we remain separated from God and in need of the new birth. And, that new birth experience must happen again and again. It is a daily dying to self and living unto Christ. We need Jesus continually or else we end up just like Peter when he took his eyes off of Jesus while walking on water. Apart from Christ we will end up falling in the water also. Christ does not leave us to drown, if we will cry out for help. He stands at the door knocking, wanting in. Open the door and let Jesus cleanse your heart. He is the only solution to the sin problem. It is the indwelling Holy Spirit that is the fulfillment of Genesis 3:15. When we are filled with God's Spirit, then we shall have enmity towards Satan and sin. Otherwise, by our fallen nature, we shall continue to serve Satan and sin.

[Mimi]

SUNDAY October 21

The Scope of the Problem


Who among us hasn’t known deeply, personally, and painfully, just how bad the sin problem is? We live every moment of our lives with the reality of sin and its effects. Every aspect of human existence on this planet is, to some degree (a great one, in fact), dominated by the reality of sin. From politics to the innermost recesses of the human heart, sin has infected the race. It is so bad that, without a divine solution, there would be no solution. How grateful we should be that the solution has been given. It’s called “the plan of salvation,” and its purpose is to solve the problem of sin.

Amen! We see it all around us yet still do not realize its scope. There is nothing that has escaped its effects. Praise God for His Son who was willing to die in our stead so that we might live! 

[Richard Myers]

WEDNESDAY October 24

The Experience of Salvation: Part 1

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 have a theoretical knowledge about justification. We need to experience what it means for ourselves.

Yes, but here we need to be very careful to explain more, else many remain deceived. It is true that we can only be justified because of the atoning sacrifice made by Christ. But, for most that sacrifice will have been in vain. Therefore, there are conditions to being justified. We all know this, but it has to be said very plainly. We need to know what the conditions are. Not all are justified in having eternal life. Only those who accept the sacrifice.  In John 3:16, it goes like this: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." We cannot stop here either, for many professing Christians say the sinner's prayer and believe they are saved, forever saved. Such a deception!  And, futhermore, what does it mean to "believe". "Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?  Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?" James 2:19-21. 

Trust not in the arm of flesh, but go to your Bibles and see what is required for salvation. Do not trust in your teacher any more than the faithful Bereans trusted in Paul. God sends teachers, but we need to know for ourselves from the Bible what is truth. When the Apostle John said "believeth in Him", he meant to believe with all the heart, not part of it. Unbelief is sin and we can have no unbelief. It is not good enough to believe there is a God or to love Him with part of the heart. We must trust fully in God and that trust or belief is seen in the works of Abraham. So, it will be in my life and your life. Our good works will not save a one of us, but it is evidence of a power from above that has taken possession of the heart. All of the fruits are seen in the life of one who believes with the whole heart. "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." Romans 10:10.

Acts 2:36-38 and Acts 3:19 bring up repentance as the beginning of the sinner’s experience of salvation. How does the nature of repentance as a feeling of remorse help us to connect the experience of justification with the death of Christ?

  2:36   Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. 
  2:37   Now when they heard [this], they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men [and] brethren, what shall we do? 
  2:38   Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 
  3:19   Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; 

Ponder the following comment: “Nothing so touches the depths of the soul as a sense of Christ’s pardoning love. When sinners contemplate this unfathomable divine love, displayed on the cross, they receive the most powerful motivation possible to repent. This is the goodness of God that leads us to repentance (Rom. 2:4).”-Ministerial Association of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, Seventh-day Adventists Believe, (Nampa, Idaho: Pacific Press® Publishing Association, 2005), pp. 135, 136.

We are again getting to the very foundation of our faith. This is the gospel message. It is the goodness of God that leads us to repentance. And without repentance there is no forgiveness of sin. That is why Paul says "And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission." Hebrews 9:22.  By beholding the great sacrifice made on our behalf, we are brought to our knees in repentance and then are forgiven our past sins and justified, or receive salvation at that point in time. We are not forgiven of future sins until they are repented of. Therefore, the truth that Christ died for us while we were yet sinners is the very truth that reaches into the carnal heart and purifies it. God loves us and has proved it by allowing His innocent Son to come into this dark world a helpless baby subject the weaknesses of humanity at the risk of losing Him. Such love!! He did this for us while we were yet sinners! Wonder O heavens and be astonished O Earth!!

Read Romans 3:23-25 and Ephesians 2:8. What is the role of faith in the experience of justification?

  3:23   For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 
  3:24   Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 
  3:25   Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 

 2:8   For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.

We are told in the Bible that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God (Rom. 10:17). We have also seen that contemplating the love of Christ motivates a person to repentance. Repentance, then, is not the special prerogative of a privileged few. In view of these facts, the importance of the study and the contemplation of God’s Word in the experience of justification cannot be overemphasized.

It is the goodness of God that leads to repentance and justification. Thus, if I should repent of sin and experience justification, God is the one to receive the credit. Salvation, then, is truly a gracious gift from God, for, indeed, it is by grace through faith that we are saved (Eph. 2:8 ).

What are some tangible and practical ways in which you may flood your heart and mind with the goodness of God, especially as you think of what He has done for you and what He has spared you from?

These are good questions to answer. It is motivating to listen to testimonies of how God has worked in the lives of others. It is powerful to read the Word of God and come to know who God is and how much He loves us. Our faith grows by so doing. It is grace revealed. But, how much more powerful to remember what God has done in our lives. All of the prayers answered! All of the misery averted. All of the pain and sorrow soothed. Is not God good to have gone into the world and removed us? Is He not good to one such as myself who is so unworthy of such love? I know myself better than anyone and to think that God would rescue me from a life of sin!! Yes, our author makes a very good point by reminding us to think on these evidences of His love. They mean more to us than anything else can.

[Richard Myers]

THURSDAY October 25

The Experience of Salvation: Part 2

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 new experience is the reality that, no matter our past, no matter our sins, no matter how faulty and wrong we have been, we can stand pardoned, forgiven, and cleansed before God.

Here we begin to see that there is a problem. How many professing Christians will agree that they have been "cleansed" at conversion? Very few. If is very sad that simple statements throughout Scripture are rejected. They tell us our sins will be has white as snow, if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to not only forgive us our sins, but to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. For some who are reading and who believe that God does not cleanse the heart of all sin, it places you on a wrong foundation and all that you build above this will be crooked.

Think through what this means. Christ’s death covers all sin, even the worst; no matter how much your own heart might condemn you (1 John 3:20), when you surrender yourself to Christ, in faith, and accept His perfect life instead of your own “filthy rags” (Isa. 64:6), then you are at that moment covered in Christ’s righteousness. His perfect life is credited to you as if it were yours. Talk about a gift, especially to a sinner!

Amen!! The heart is a new heart (Eze. 36:21), it is renewed in holiness. I have been teaching from Scripture, but for those who may be having some difficulty at this point, I am going to quote from the Spirit of Prophecy something so simple to understand that a child may see it clearly.

"The forgiveness of sins and iniquities and transgressions, belongs in a special sense to this time. We are in the anti-typical day of atonement, and every soul should now be humbling himself before God, seeking pardon for his transgressions and sins, and accepting the justifying grace of Christ, the sanctifying of the soul by the operations of the Holy Spirit of Christ; thus the carnal nature is transformed, renewed in holiness after the image of Christ's righteousness and true holiness. The precious, golden links of truth are not separate, detached, disconnected doctrines; but link after link, form one string of golden truth, and constitute a complete whole, with Christ as its living center. Salvation comes through practical godliness and faith in Jesus Christ. Faith is made perfect through works, and is evidenced in the character. To those who are teaching the truth, whose hearts are impure, and who have not been converted, Christ says,  'What hast thou to do to declare my statutes? Be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord.' Oh, what truths we have--full of power, and it is not possible to controvert these Bible doctrines. There is no truth in heaven or in earth that would affect some characters, although it might be presented in all power and matchless purity and loveliness, because the heart does not love the practice of these holy sentiments. The truth we have set before us for the past few years, is immense in its importance, reaching into heaven and compassing eternity. Satan and his confederacy of evil have made every effort to cover up, to confuse minds, to make of none effect the precious, glorious truths of God's word. We are living in strangely solemn times, and at the very time when the people of God should be wide awake, and many are asleep or dead spiritually. There is great need of much work being done. Every individual member of the church should look to the Captain for orders."  PH002 25.

The question is, How can something like this happen to a person and that person not be radically changed? That change, often called the “new birth,” is part and parcel of the experience of salvation.

Read the texts in the above paragraphs and summarize their teachings about justification and the way in which we experience it in our own lives.

The experience of forgiveness ends the sinner’s vulnerability to God’s wrath and clears away any barriers to reconciliation and fellowship between God and humans. A new life opens up for the sinner, who has the privilege of living in fellowship with Christ under the direction and guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Repentance is the prerequisite for entering into the experience of forgiveness and justification, and it comes accompanied by confession and baptism (Acts 2:38, 1 John 1:9). This helps to explain the fact that although forgiveness is available to all, not all will be forgiven.

Where would you be if you couldn’t lean on the promise, every moment of your life, that your acceptance with God is based on what Jesus has done for you, and not on yourself or your own performance and law-keeping?

If Jesus did not stand between sin and death, we would all be dead. If Jesus did not consent to become a human being, our brother, we would not have the opportunity to be changed into His image. If Jesus did not die, then we would pay the price for our own sins. If God did not allow Jesus to take our place, then where would be the grace whereby we are not only saved by transformed? We have no power to do any good thing apart from Christ. Therefore, how can we say we are saved by our good works. We can and must keep the commandments of God, else we shall not be saved. But, it is Christ, not I. It is His indwelling Spirit that causes me to keep His commandments. "Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.  And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them." Ezekiel 36:25-27.  It is His character that is seen in the life of the truly converted Christian. We praise God for His Gift to humanity and the power of grace to transform our nature.

[Glen]

The forgiveness of sins and iniquities and transgressions, belongs in a special sense to this time. We are in the anti-typical day of atonement, and every soul should now be humbling himself before God, seeking pardon for his transgressions and sins, and accepting the justifying grace of Christ, the sanctifying of the soul by the operations of the Holy Spirit of Christ; thus the carnal nature is transformed, renewed in holiness after the image of Christ's righteousness and true holiness....

Appeal and Suggestions to Conference Officers 25

I need to review the significance of the Typical Day of Atonement, contrasted with the Anti-typical Day of Atonement. I think there may be something very significant that is, perhaps, being overlooked by most in our Church, today. During the Typical Day of Atonement, there were Lambs slain every day for sins confessed each day of the year, while on the Typical Day of Atonement the High Priest went into the Most Holy Place to plead His blood.

The Bible says that ....we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Hebrews 10:10 Perhaps there are those in the end of time who will find that....new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil....  Hebrews 10:20 -who will become one with Christ and will have no more sin to confess, because Christ dwells in them; thus, they are sealed, and will be translated without seeing death. The righteous living of the last generation will, in a special sense, have the accumulated light of history, will have grown up into the Head, and become the light of the world (See Ephesians 4:15).

While:
In all ages the "Spirit of Christ which was in them" (1 Peter 1:11) has made God's true children the light of the people of their generation.
Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing 41.2

-The quote Richard shared reads: The forgiveness of sins and iniquities and transgressions, belongs in a special sense to this time. We are in the anti-typical day of atonement....

[Richard Myers]

Glen, I believe why the statement was made is because on the Day of Atonement, it was the last chance to confess sins. So, today, time is running out. Many think they can continue in their sins and go to heaven. It is not true. Time is running out, not just for the individual who may die today, but for all of humanity. We are living in the anti-typical Day of Atonement. Time is running out for the human race. In this sense, we can understand the importance. "We are in the anti-typical day of atonement, and every soul should now be humbling himself before God, seeking pardon for his transgressions and sins, and accepting the justifying grace of Christ, the sanctifying of the soul by the operations of the Holy Spirit of Christ; thus the carnal nature is transformed, renewed in holiness after the image of Christ's righteousness and true holiness...."

And, if we will stop thinking so much about self and consider what Jesus is doing, then we would really understand how the statement applies to our day. Jesus is going to purify a whole church, not just a few as He did with Enoch and Elijah. He is not only going to purify them, but seal them so that they will not sin ever again while living in fallen flesh. To "seal" in this sense is to bring a person into the truth so that they will never be moved to sin, as were Enoch and Elijah. It is beyond the perfection of most who will be in heaven. All who have perfected a Christian character will be in heaven, including the thief on the cross. But, in our day, Jesus is preparing a people, not a few, to receive Him at His second coming. These will be a witness of the power of grace to keep a sinner from sinning. It is important for the unfallen angels and the unfallen worlds to understand. If we who are the weakest of the weak can overcome sin, then the universe will be forever safe.

Thank you, Glen, for pointing out the importance of this statement.

[Richard Myers]

FRIDAY October 26

Further Study

Read Ellen G. White, “‘God With Us,’” pp. 19-29, in The Desire of Ages.

“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 silence through times eternal’ (Rom. 16:25, R.V.). It was an unfolding of the principles that from eternal ages have been the foundation of God’s throne. . . . God did not ordain that sin should exist, but He foresaw its existence, and made provision to meet the terrible emergency. So great was His love for the world, that He covenanted to give His only-begotten Son, ‘that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ ”-Ellen G. White, God’s Amazing Grace, p. 23.

Discussion Questions

    Think about how bad sin must be that it took the death of the Creator Himself to solve it. What does the Cross reveal to us about the utter inability of humanity to save itself? What do we think we could add to what has already been done for us?

The cross reveals the fact that man cannot be saved in sin. Sin is so grievous that Christ had to die to pay the price for our sins. He could not just forgive us. No justice must be met. It is called grace. It is an unmerited favor towards sinful man. Christ died for us while we were yet sinners. As a sinner, we deserve death. But, Christ's suffering and death, meet the demands of the law for our sins IF we meet the criteria. Not all will be forgiven, not all will be saved, not all will be in heaven even though Christ paid the price. Man must accept the free gift before it will save him. What man do into order to accept the free gift? He must die to self. He must allow the Holy Spirit to take possession of his heart, to cleanse it. If man will receive this new heart and become a partaker of God's divine nature, he shall escape the corruption in this world and be renewed in the likeness of His maker. In other words, man does have a part to play in his own salvation. He must behold Jesus and be changed into His image from glory to glory (2 Cor. 3:18).

    Some believe in what is called the “subjective atonement,” the idea that nothing about the Cross changed our standing with God. Rather, the whole point of the Cross was, they claim, to change our attitude about God, nothing more. What’s terribly deficient about such a theology? What does it say about the problem of sin if all it would take is an “attitude adjustment” on our part to solve it?

    How possible is it to have a good deal of knowledge about salvation and yet not the experience of it? What do you make of Ellen White’s comment that “Consecration to God must be a living, practical matter; not a theory to be talked about, but a principle interwoven with all our experience”?-Our High Calling, p. 243. How do we, on a daily and practical level, live out the experience of salvation?

The difference between one who is converted and one who is not abiding in Christ is the difference between life and death. Nicodemus when talking with Jesus under cover of night, was not converted. Yet, he and others thought him a "good man". But, when put into a difficult situation, all could see that self was not dead. Let the storms of winter beat upon a man who is not filled with the Spirit of God and self will come to the surface. Let an enemy spit in his face and what will be the result? There is a radical change when one is truly converted because they become a partaker of the God's divine nature. "Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust." 2 Peter 1:4. How many reject this Bible truth? Most.  Then they cannot claim this most precious promise: "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.

The way we live out the experience of salvation is to have Christ enthroned upon our hearts, to be converted daily, to behold Jesus on the cross. We must live in an attitude of prayer continually if we want to live out the experience of salvation. For to be without the Spirit of God is to be without salvation, to be destitute of any real goodness. "For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind [is] enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.  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 8:6-9.

    Dwell on the role of salvation in the context of the great controversy. Why does Satan want to keep as many people as possible from having salvation in Jesus? What are the means he uses against us, and how can we defend ourselves against them?

Our only defense against sin and Satan is Jesus Christ. When Adam sinned, God made a promise, it is called the "everlasting covenant".  "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." Genesis 3:15.  We have, in and of ourselves, no enmity or hatred toward Satan and sin, but God has promised to give this to us through Jesus Christ. It is not good enough to believe it, but we must accept Christ into our hearts. We must walk in His Spirit, not in our flesh if we want to possess the power to overcome sin. We need Jesus in the heart, not just to profess Him. We need to be filled with His Spirit to be able to resist the smallest temptation. Jesus is our only defense against Satan, sin, and self.

The author asks how it is that Satan can prevent us from obtaining the salvation provided for us at such great expense? I think we all know the answer to this. He is the "great deceiver". He deceived Eve and he has deceived billions in this world today. How about us? Has he been successful with you and me?  Take a look at history and what do we find?

Satan so deceived Israel, God's chosen people, that they put to death their Saviour. How is it today? Do we crucify afresh the Son of God? And make excuses for it?

Unless we stand on the elevated platform of eternal truth, we shall be swept away by the tide of delusive error that is sweeping over the world. Satan is coming down with great power to work miracles, and unless we are abiding in Christ, we shall be deceived. Satan will work "with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish."  We must rely upon the power of God. We must stand upon His platform of eternal truth. His Word, the Bible, is the foundation of our faith. Unless we plant our feet upon this foundation, unless we substantiate our faith "By every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God," we shall be deceived by Satan when he comes in glory, claiming to be Christ.

Satan has snares all prepared to entrap souls. It is his studied purpose that men shall employ their God-given powers for selfish ends rather than yield them to glorify God. God would have men engage in a work that will bring them peace and joy, and will render them eternal profits; but Satan wants us to concentrates our efforts for that which profiteth not, for things that perish with the using. The service of Satan is one of care, perplexity, anxiety, and wearing labor, and the treasure men toil to accumulate on earth is only for a season. The greatest caution is exercised in the worldly investment of means, that the expenditure may yield a good profit; but in things of eternal concern the utmost indifference is displayed. The heart of man is to be a dwelling place for the Holy Spirit. The peace of Christ that passeth understanding may rest in your soul, and the transforming power of his grace may work in your life, and fit you for heaven. But if brain and nerve and muscle are all employed in the service of self, you are not making God and heaven the first consideration of your life. It is impossible to be serving Christ while you are putting all your energies on the side of the world. You may be successful in heaping up treasure on the earth, for the glory of self; but "where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Eternal considerations will be made of secondary importance. You may take part in the outward forms of worship; but your service will be an abomination to the God of heaven. You cannot serve God and mammon. You will either yield your whole heart and put your will on the side of God, or you will give your energies to the service of the world. We cannot serve two masters. That we can, is the great deception. That we can sin and crucify Christ afresh and retain salvation is what many have come to believe. That is today's great deception brought into professing Christians churches. To a Laodicean people Jesus says "Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and [that] the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne." Rev. 3:17-21. I cannot make it any clearer than Jesus has just done. We have been warned and given the solution to our condition, it is Jesus.

[Peter L]

What do the following texts reveal about the scope of the sin problem? How have you experienced it yourself or seen around you the reality of these texts?

Jeremiah 17:9
(9)  The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

People can deceive themselves into thinking that they are OK when in reality they are not.

[Mimi]

Amen! Welcome to the Sabbath School board. This is a great quarter.

[Peter L]

Sunday

What do the following texts reveal about the scope of the sin problem? How have you experienced it yourself or seen around you the reality of these texts?

2 Thessalonians 2:10
(10)  And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

Reading the Bible is good but, it will not mean anything if we do not have the love of truth

[colporteur]

Yes, and while the difference may seem subtle there is a difference between having a love for knowing the truth and loving truth itself. The first implies a "look at me I know what you do not" while the later is loving the message. Most of the Jews had the first experience and it eventually led to them losing the truth itself and nailing the Truth to the cross.

[Peter L]

That is true. The first church lost there first love
Revelation 2:4-5
(4)  Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
(5)  Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

They not only received council that they had left there first love but, also received council on getting back there first love. Knowing our sinful condition and the grace of God should lead us to Christ.

Galatians 3:24
(24)  Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

[Richard Myers]

Amen, Peter!  Welcome to our fellowship and the Sabbath School study. We look forward to your participation!  Jesus is the solution to all of our problems. We need Him continually or else we have no power to do any good thing! And with Him in our hearts, we can do all things that He asks of us!  What a God!!