The fruit of the Spirit is command keeping - love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. The Sermon on the Mount is a wonderful description of command keeping.

The Holy Spirit leads people into keeping God's commandments. And when we delight ourselves in the ways of God's righteousness, we will also have the fruit of the Spirit which is love, joy, peace, kindness, etc.

Yet, love, as a word by itself does not really define God's law. We need God's law to define love!

The "law of the flesh" breaks those commandments even when they claim they are acting in love.
Ever hear the excuses of people caught in adultery? "Oh, but we love each other, it's so beautiful, how can such delightful love be wrong?"

But God's commandments defines love.
How can such adulterous love be beautiful to the partner who is being betrayed, and if children are involved, they generally suffer due to the tensions created in the home. What is beautiful about a broken promise, a trust betrayed, a home broken?


Galatians defines the fruits of the spirit, but notice what those fruits are contrasted with.
It becomes pretty obvious that those who walk in the flesh in contempt of God's commandments will not enjoy the fruits of the Holy spirit.

Amen. The link between love and law and obedience is beautiful. "Love is the fulfilling of the law." Rom 13:10.

Deuteronomy 11:1 Therefore thou shalt love the LORD thy God, and keep his charge, and his statutes, and his judgments, and his commandments, alway.

Deuteronomy 30:16 In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it.

John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

John 14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

John 15:10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.

John 15:17 These things I command you, that ye love one another.

1 John
5:2-3 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

And if you don't keep His commandments - he will kill you! Watch out!

We had a good Sabbath School Discussion this morning. Hopefully the rest of you also enjoyed the fellowship and discussion in your churches.

The second lesson for this quarter is called

Christ and the law of Moses.
You can find lesson two by clicking HERE

Memory Verse:
"If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me." John 5:46

I just wish Jesus talk with the two men on the road to Emmaus would have been recorded.
Luke 24:26 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?
24:27 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.

Could we construct a Bible study from the books of Moses that outlined the coming Christ?

Sounds like a new thread idea.

Sunday's lesson begins with a subject of circumcision.

The point is made that Mary and Joseph dutifully followed all the prescribed rituals in the Mosaic law for new mothers and their baby boy.

Yet the question is bound to arise --
Why would God require such a sign as the sign of the covenant with Abraham and his descendants?




It's interesting that this "sign" was given to Abraham AFTER he had begotten a son, Ishmael, by taking a young servant woman and "doing it his way", rather than trusting in God to give him that promised son.

There always seems to be a tendency for humans to "do it my way". Yet, scriptures make it plain that we cannot save ourselves. God takes the initiative, God provides the means.

The promised heir was born to Sarah, who was well passed the child bearing stage. A miracle. And for all generations thereafter, the sign depicted that it is God Who provided the promised Son.

Years later -- the Messiah came, again a miracle birth.

God provided a Redeemer.



Circumcision as practiced back then is no longer required.

Yet there is a circumcision which needs to take place in our lives -- the circumcision of the heart.

Through the Holy Spirit, malice, envy, covetousness and selfishness are cut away, while peace, joy, faith, hope,

Tuesday's lesson April 8, 2014
Jesus in the Temple

THE BIBLE STORY
And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him. Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast. And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it. But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day’s journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance. And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him. And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers. And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing. And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business? And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them. And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man. Luke 2:40-52

SOME INTERESTING REMARKS FROM DESIRE OF AGES:

"With most of the people in the days of Christ, the observance of this feast had degenerated into formalism. But what was its significance to the Son of God! {DA 77.2}
For the first time the child Jesus looked upon the temple. He saw the white-robed priests performing their solemn ministry. He beheld the bleeding victim upon the altar of sacrifice. With the worshipers He bowed in prayer, while the cloud of incense ascended before God. He witnessed the impressive rites of the paschal service. Day by day He saw their meaning more clearly. Every act seemed to be bound up with His own life. New impulses were awakening within Him. Silent and absorbed, He seemed to be studying out a great problem. The mystery of His mission was opening to the Saviour. {DA 78.1}
Rapt in the contemplation of these scenes, He did not remain beside His parents. He sought to be alone. When the paschal services were ended, He still lingered in the temple courts; and when the worshipers departed from Jerusalem, He was left behind. {DA 78.2}

At that day an apartment connected with the temple was devoted to a sacred school, after the manner of the schools of the prophets. Here leading rabbis with their pupils assembled, and hither the child Jesus came. Seating Himself at the feet of these grave, learned men, He listened to their instruction. As one seeking for wisdom, He questioned these teachers in regard to the prophecies, and to events then taking place that pointed to the advent of the Messiah. {DA 78.4}

The words of Jesus had moved their hearts as they had never before been moved by words from human lips. God was seeking to give light to those leaders in Israel, and He used the only means by which they could be reached. In their pride they would have scorned to admit that they could receive instruction from anyone. If Jesus had appeared to be trying to teach them, they would have disdained to listen. But they flattered themselves that they were teaching Him, or at least testing His knowledge of the Scriptures. The youthful modesty and grace of Jesus disarmed their prejudices. Unconsciously their minds were opened to the word of God, and the Holy Spirit spoke to their hearts. {DA 80.2}

They could not but see that their expectation in regard to the Messiah was not sustained by prophecy; but they would not renounce the theories that had flattered their ambition. They would not admit that they had misapprehended the Scriptures they claimed to teach. From one to another passed the inquiry, How hath this youth knowledge, having never learned? The light was shining in darkness; but "the darkness apprehended it not." John 1:5, R. V. {DA 80.3}

Questions from the Quarterly:

HOW does this story help to illustrate the decidedly Jewish character of the Gospels and how central the religion was to all that took place?

The Jewish rituals all pointed to Christ and the gospel. Though the earthly priests seemed to have lost this connection, Jesus, as a child of but 12 years, was being awakened to His mission by attending this feast, observing and participating in the rituals.

We too, by looking at the Jewish ceremonial laws which God gave them, can find deeper meaning in the sacrifice at Calvary and the Priestly ministry of Jesus in the heavenly sanctuary.


How is it significant that this story took place during the Passover?

The Jewish feasts give an outline of Christ's ministry for lost mankind.
The Passover is symbolic of Christ's sacrifice.

Phil. 2:7-8 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

As He watched the Passover sacrifice being offered, the realization began to dawn that 21 years later, He, Himself would be that Passover Lamb.


FOR how many days were Jesus' parents looking to find him?

Three days -- probably parts of three days. When they discovered Him missing after a days journey from Jerusalem, the day they traveled back, and found Him the third morning.

This reminds us of the three days when the disciples thought they had lost Jesus. When He was taken and crucified, the day He spent in the tomb, and rose in triumph the third morning.

What does Jesus reply to His parents tell us what must have top priority in our lives?

Though obedient to His parents, His first priority was obedience to His heavenly Father.