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Skriven 2010-08-11 18:45:34 av Greg Goodwin (1:123/789.0)
Ärende: July 31 - August 6 - Expounding the Faith
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LESSON 6
*July 31 - August 6
Expounding the Faith

SABBATH AFTERNOON

Read for This Week's Study:


Romans  5.

Memory Text:


"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our  Lord
Jesus Christ: by whom also we have access by faith into this grace  wherein we
stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God" (Romans  5:1, 2).
 Paul has established  the point that justification, or acceptance with God,
comes only through  faith in Jesus Christ, for His righteousness alone is
enough to give us the  right standing with our Lord. Building on that great
truth, Paul now expounds  more on this theme. Showing that salvation has to be
by faith and not by  works, not even for someone as "righteous" as Abraham,
Paul in a sense steps  back, looks at the big picture--at what caused sin and
suffering and death and  how the solution is found in Christ and what He's done
for the human race.

Through the fall of one man, Adam, all humanity faced condemnation, alienation,
and death; through the victory of one man, Jesus, all the world  was placed on
a new footing before God, one in which, by faith in Jesus, the  record of their
sins, and the punishment due those sins could be remitted,  could be forgiven
and forever pardoned.

Paul contrasts Adam and Jesus, showing how Christ came to undo what Adam  did
and that by faith the victims of Adam's sin could be rescued by Jesus,  the
Savior. The foundation of it all is the cross of Christ and His 
substitutionary death there--which opens the way for every human being, Jew or
Gentile, to be saved by Jesus, who with His blood brought justification to  all
who accept Him.

Surely this is a theme worth expounding upon, for it's the foundation of  all
our hope. 
*Study this week's lesson to prepare for Sabbath, August 7.

SUNDAY
August 1

Therefore, Being Justified

Read Romans 5:1-5. On the lines below summarize Paul's message. What can you
take from that for yourself now?



"Being justified" is literally "having been justified." The Greek verb
represents the action as completed. We have been declared righteous, or
regarded as righteous, not through any deeds of law but through our having
accepted Jesus Christ. The perfect life that Jesus lived on this earth, His
perfect law-keeping, has been credited to us.

At the same time, all of our sins have been laid on Jesus. God has reckoned
that Jesus committed those sins, not us, and that way we can be spared the
punishment that we deserve. That punishment fell on Christ for us, in behalf of
us, so that we never have to face it ourselves. What more glorious news could
there be for the sinner?

The Greek word translated "glory" in verse 3 is the one translated "rejoice" in
verse 2. If it is translated "rejoice" in verse 3 also (as in some versions),
the connection between verses 2 and 3 is more clearly seen. Justified people
can rejoice in tribulation because they have fixed their faith and trust in
Jesus Christ. They have confidence that God will work all things for good. They
will consider it an honor to suffer for Christ's sake. (See 1 Pet. 4:13.)

Notice, too, the progression in verses 3 through 5.

1. Patience. The Greek word thus translated hupomone means "steadfast
endurance." This is the type of endurance that tribulation develops in the one
who maintains faith and who does not lose sight of the hope he or she has in
Christ even amid the trials and suffering that can make life so miserable at
times.

2. Experience. The Greek word thus translated dokime means literally "the
quality of being approved," hence, "character," or more specifically "approved
character." The one who patiently endures trials can develop an approved
character.

3. Hope. Endurance and approval naturally give rise to hope, the hope found in
Jesus and the promise of salvation in Him. As long as we cling to Jesus in
faith, repentance, and obedience, we have everything to hope for.
What is the one thing in all your life that you hope  for more than anything
else? How can that hope be fulfilled in Jesus? Or can  it? If not, are you sure
you want to be putting so much hope in  it? 
MONDAY
August 2

God Seeking Man

Read Romans 5:6-8. What do these verses tell us about the character of God, and
why are they so full of hope for us? 


When Adam and Eve shamefully and inexcusably transgressed the divine
requirement, God took the first steps toward reconciliation. Ever since, God
has taken the initiative in providing a way of salvation and in inviting men
and women to accept it. "When the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth
his Son" (Gal. 4:4).

Romans 5:9 says that we can be saved from God's wrath through Jesus. How do we
understand what that means? 


As the blood on the doorposts of the Israelites in Egypt on the eve of their
departure protected the firstborn from the wrath that befell Egypt's firstborn,
so the blood of Jesus Christ guarantees that one who has been justified and
retains that status will be protected when God's wrath finally destroys sin at
the end of the age.

Some folk struggle with the idea of a loving God having wrath. But it's
precisely because of His love that this wrath exists. How could God, who loves
the world, not have wrath against sin? Were He indifferent to us, He would not
care about what happens here. Look around at the world and see what sin has
done to His creation. How could God not be wrathful against such evil and
devastation?

What other reasons are we given to rejoice? (Rom. 5:10, 11). 


Some commentators have seen in verse 10 a reference to the life that Christ
lived on this earth, during which He wrought a perfect character that He now
offers to credit to us. Though this is certainly what Christ's perfect life
accomplished, Paul seems to be emphasizing the fact that whereas Christ died,
He rose again and is alive forevermore (see Heb. 7:25). Because He lives, we
are saved. If He had remained in the tomb, our hopes would have perished with
Him. Verse 11 continues with the reasons that we have to rejoice in the Lord,
and that's because of what Jesus has accomplished for us.
 
TUESDAY
August 3

Death Swallowed Up

Death is an enemy, the ultimate one. When God created the human family, He
designed that its members should live forever. With few exceptions humans do
not want to die; and those who do, do so only after the greatest personal
anguish and suffering. Death goes against our most basic nature. And that's
because, from inception, we were created to live forever. Death was to be
unknown to us.

Read Romans 5:12. What is Paul describing here? What does this explain?



Commentators have argued more over this passage of Scripture than over most
others. Perhaps the reason is, as noted in The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 6, p.
529, that these commentators "attempt to use the passage for purposes other
than Paul intended."

One point they argue over is: in what way was Adam's sin passed on to his
posterity? Did Adam's descendants share the guilt of Adam's sin, or are they
guilty before God because of their own sin? Though folk have tried to get the
answer to that question from this text, that's not the issue Paul was dealing
with. He had a whole other object in mind. He is reemphasizing what he already
stated, "for all have sinned" (Rom. 3:23). We need to recognize that we are
sinners, because only that way will we realize our need of a Savior. Paul here
was trying to get readers to realize just how bad sin is and what it brought
into this world through Adam. Then he shows what God offers us in Jesus as the
only remedy to the tragedy brought upon our world through Adam's sin.

Yet, this text tells only of the problem, death in Adam--not the solution, life
in Christ. One of the most glorious aspects of the gospel is that death has
been swallowed up in life. Jesus passed through the portals of the tomb and
burst its bonds. He says, "I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am
alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death" (Rev. 1:18).
Because Jesus has the keys, the enemy can no longer hold his victims in the
grave.
What has been your own experience with the reality and  the tragedy of death?
Why, in the face of such a relentless enemy, must we  have a hope in something
greater than ourselves or greater than anything this  world offers? 
WEDNESDAY
August 4

Law Awakens Need

"Until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no
law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not
sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him
that was to come" (Rom. 5:13, 14).

What is Paul talking about here? The phrase "until the law" is paralleled with
the statement "from Adam to Moses." He is talking about the time in the world
from creation to Sinai, before the formal introduction of the rules and laws of
the Israelite system, which included, of course, the Ten Commandments.

"Until the law" means until the detailing of God's requirements in the various
laws given to Israel at Sinai. Sin existed before Sinai. How could it not? Were
lying, killing, adultery, and idolatry not sinful until then? Of course they
were.

What are some texts that reveal the reality of sin before Sinai?



It is true that prior to Sinai the human race generally had only a limited
revelation of God, but they obviously knew enough to be held accountable. God
is just and isn't going to punish anyone unfairly. People in the pre-Sinai
world died, as Paul here points out. Death passed upon all. Though they had not
sinned against an expressly revealed command, they had sinned nevertheless.
They had the revelations of God in nature, to which they had not responded and
thus were held guilty. "The invisible things of him from the creation of the
world are clearly seen. . .; so that they are without excuse" (Rom. 1:20).

For what purpose did God reveal Himself more fully in the "law"? Rom. 5:20, 21.



The instruction given at Sinai included the moral law, though it had existed
before then. This was the first time, however, according to the Bible, that
this law was written and widely proclaimed.

When the Israelites began to compare themselves with the divine requirements,
they discovered that they fell far short. In other words, "the offense"
abounded. They suddenly realized the extent of their transgressions. The
purpose of such a revelation was to help them to see their need of a Savior and
to drive them to accept the grace so freely offered by God. As stressed before,
the true version of the Old Testament faith was not legalistic.
 
THURSDAY
August 5

The Second Adam

"Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation;
even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto
justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners,
so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous" (Rom. 5:18, 19). What
contrast is presented here to us? What hope is offered us in Christ? 


As humans, we received nothing from Adam but the sentence of death. Christ,
however, stepped in and passed over the ground where Adam fell, enduring every
test in man's behalf. He redeemed Adam's disgraceful failure and fall, and,
thus, as our substitute, He placed us on vantage ground with God. Hence, Jesus
is the "Second Adam."

"The second Adam was a free moral agent, held responsible for his conduct.
Surrounded by intensely subtle and misleading influences, He was much less
favorably situated than was the first Adam to lead a sinless life. Yet in the
midst of sinners He resisted every temptation to sin, and maintained His
innocency. He was ever sinless."--Ellen G. White Comments, The SDA Bible
Commentary, vol. 6, p. 1074.

How are Adam's and Christ's acts contrasted in Romans 5:15-19? 


Look at the opposing ideas here: death, life; disobedience, obedience;
condemnation, justification; sin, righteousness. Jesus came and undid all that
Adam had done!

It is fascinating, too, that the word gift occurs five times in verses 15
through 17. Five times! The point is simple: Paul is emphasizing that
justification is not earned; it comes as a gift. It is something that we don't
merit, that we don't deserve. Like all gifts, we have to reach out and accept
them, and in this case, with this gift, we claim it by faith.
What was the best gift you ever were given? What made  it so good, so special?
How did the fact that it was a gift, as opposed to  something you earned, make
you that much more appreciative of it? Yet, how  could that gift even begin to
compare with what we have in Jesus? 
FRIDAY
August 6

Further Study: 

Read Ellen G. White, "Help in Daily Living," pp.  470-472, in The Ministry of
Healing; "Christ the Center of the  Message," pp.  383, 384, in Selected
Messages, book 1; "The Temptation and Fall," pp.  60-62, in Patriarchs and
Prophets; "Justification," pp. 712-714,  in The SDA Encyclopedia.

"Many are deceived concerning the condition of their hearts. They do not 
realize that the natural heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately 
wicked. They wrap themselves about with their own righteousness, and are 
satisfied in reaching their own human standard of character."--Ellen G. White, 
Selected Messages, book 1, p. 320.

"There is great need that Christ should be preached as the only hope and 
salvation. When the doctrine of justification by faith was presented . .. ., 
it came to many as water comes to the thirsty traveler. The thought that the 
righteousness of Christ is imputed to us, not because of any merit on our 
part, but as a free gift from God, seemed a precious thought."--Ellen G. 
White, Selected Messages, book 1, p. 360.

"Trial is part of the education given in the school of Christ, to purify  God's
children from the dross of earthliness. It is because God is leading  His
children that trying experiences come to them. Trials and obstacles are  His
chosen methods of discipline, and His appointed conditions of success. He  who
reads the hearts of men knows their weaknesses better than they  themselves can
know them. He sees that some have qualifications which, if  rightly directed,
could be used in the advancement of His work."--Ellen G.  White, The Acts of
the Apostles, p. 524. 
Discussion Questions:

  How has your  faith sustained you through some terrible trials? What things
did you learn  from these trials about yourself and about God? Also, what have
you learned  that might be of assistance to others who might be going through
some hard  times themselves? 
  Think  about the reality of death, of what it does not only to life but to
the  meaning of life. Many writers and philosophers have lamented the ultimate 
meaninglessness of life because it ends in eternal death. How do we as 
Christians respond to them? Why is the hope we have in Jesus the only answer 
to that meaninglessness? 
  Just  as Adam's fall imposed a fallen nature on all of us, Jesus's victory
offers  the promise of eternal life to all of us who accept it by faith, no 
exceptions. With such a wonderful provision right there for us, what holds 
people back from reaching out and eagerly claiming it for themselves? How can 
each of us help those who are seeking to better understand what Christ offers 
and what He has done for them? 

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