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Fourth Quarter 2017 The Book of Romans
#185286
10/12/17 04:54 AM
10/12/17 04:54 AM
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OP
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The 500th Anniversary of Luther posting 95 thesis on the door of the Wittenberg Church has prompted the Adventist Church to initiate the study of two books of the Bible which were key sources enabling Luther's rise out of the darkness of spiritual fear and despair into becoming a champion promoting "salvation in Christ". In 1515 (that's two years prior to posting his 95 thesis) Martin Luther, who was now a professor of Theology at the University of Wittenberg, began a course of lectures on the book of Romans. Like all teachers who painstakingly prepare their lessons, he benefited greatly from this preparation as he pondered and compared the scriptures, seeking to make them clear to his students. Here is the first paragraph to the preface to his study of Romans:"The Epistle is really the chief part of the New Testament and the very purest Gospel, and is worthy not only that every Christian should know it word for word, by heart, but occupy himself with it every day, as the daily bread of the soul. It can never be read or pondered too much, and the more it is dealt with the more precious it becomes, and the better it tastes." You can read the rest of his preface HERE In it he defines the words: law, sin, grace, faith, righteousness, flesh, Spirit and concludes with -- "Without this understanding of the terms noted you will never grasp this epistle of St. Paul, nor any book of the Holy Scriptures. Therefore, beware of all teachers who employ these words in a different sense, no matter who they are, even if they should happen to be Jerome, Augustine, Ambrose, Origen, and men like them or still higher than they." Semantic confusion is the foundation of theological confusion.
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Here is the link to this week's Sabbath School Lesson Study and Discussion Material: Click Here
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Re: Fourth Quarter 2017 The Book of Romans
[Re: dedication]
#185292
10/14/17 03:47 AM
10/14/17 03:47 AM
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OP
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This week's lesson was called "The Controversy".
What controversy was it talking about?
The controversy was basically about "control". Who controls the church?
When we really stop to think about, we realize the very identity of the Jewish people was being challenged. They considered themselves a special people -- the chosen nation of God, and they signified this with circumcision. What was more -- this was all confirmed by "scripture". They lived in a society that combined religion and state -- their leaders being the priests who made all sorts of laws (working policies) to "help" them keep God's law better, and keep them a distinct nation.
Those priests had a lot of control, even under Roman rule, the priests still held considerable power over the people. Control through religion is obtained by placing a human or a group of humans between the sinner and God. In other words -- divine grace must flow though a human channel in order to reach the repentant sinner.
This is true of the papal church, as it is taught that grace is confirmed through the seven sacraments which the priest must administer. A person out of favor with the church is cut off from receiving the sacraments, and thinks he is thereby cut off from God.
The Jewish church also held similar control over the people and were using it to make a profit for themselves and to control the people. People were dependent upon the rituals, sacrifices and ceremonies connected to the temple, for their forgiveness, cleansing, and salvation.
The majority of the first converts to Christianity were Jews. They didn't think they were leaving Judaism, they were simply accepting the Messiah prophesied to come to them.
But then -- they faced a troubling question: how does the church relate to a huge influx of Gentiles who considered themselves Christians yet disregarded the "working policies" of the church? What was even more troubling, was that these policies had good scripture bases.
These "policies" gave the Jewish leadership considerable control over the people. They pursued the enforcement of those policies in every church that Paul established.
It was a constant, and often life threatening, controversy in the early church.
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Re: Fourth Quarter 2017 The Book of Romans
[Re: dedication]
#185293
10/14/17 10:45 PM
10/14/17 10:45 PM
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Third lesson -- Oct. 14-21 The Human ConditionMemory Text: “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
Verses from Romans chapters one to three: The Just Live by Faith 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” The Unrighteous:21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. 24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. 26 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. 27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. 28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, 30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 6undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, 7unforgiving, unmerciful; 32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things rare deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them. The Jews Guilty as the Gentiles 17 Indeed you are called a Jew, and rest on the law, and make your boast in God, 18 and know His will, and approve the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law, 19 and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, 20 an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, having the form of knowledge and truth in the law. 21You, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that a man should not steal, do you steal? 22 You who say, “Do not commit adultery,” do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23 You who make your boast in the law, do you dishonor God through breaking the law? 24 For “the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,” as it is written. God’s Righteous Judgment 2:1 Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. 2 But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things. 3 And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God? 4 Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?
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Re: Fourth Quarter 2017 The Book of Romans
[Re: dedication]
#185294
10/14/17 11:35 PM
10/14/17 11:35 PM
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Third lesson -- Oct. 14-21 Sunday The Human ConditionWhat do these texts mean to you? 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”Let's look at it phrase by phrase: "What is the gospel of Jesus Christ?"The word gospel means “good news." The good news of the gospel of Christ is the story of redemption! Christ died upon the cross that we might have forgiveness of sins. Christ ever lives to make intercession for us! Christ is working in us giving us a new heart and mind, reconciling us to Him. Ever since sin manifested itself in this world, mankind has been under the condemnation of God (Romans 5:12). For all have transgressed God’s perfect law by committing sin (Romans 3:23), everyone is guilty (Romans 5:18). By this gospel we are saved, if we hold firmly to the One Who is our Savior. the power of GodIn Romans 8:11, and Eph. 2:5, we read that the same power that raised Christ from the dead can raise us from being dead in sin, to being alive in Christ unto righteousness. the righteousness of GodPaul is talking about God’s righteousness. The gospel reveals God’s righteousness, showing that God is just, fair and loving, good, and truly trustworthy, His ways are the right ways. As Psalms 98 declares: "98:2 The LORD has made known his salvation: his righteousness has he openly shown in the sight of the heathen. faith unto faith The righteousness which is by faith, is received by faith, is believed by faith, and is lived by faith.
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Re: Fourth Quarter 2017 The Book of Romans
[Re: dedication]
#185305
10/16/17 03:15 AM
10/16/17 03:15 AM
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Memory Text: “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).What is sin? We have the text in 1 John 3:4 "Sin is transgressing God's law" But here we have additional information as to what sin is. Sin means we "come short of the glory of God". "The glory of God, the perfection of Christian character, is to be the aim, the purpose of our life. {DG 169.2} Our heavenly Father cares for man, who is the image and glory of God. He longs to see His children reveal a character after His similitude. As the sunbeam imparts to the flowers their varied and delicate tints, so does God impart to the soul the beauty of His own character. {DA 313.2} Paul then goes on to describe sin in more detail: Sin is --- 1:18 "all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men".--ungodliness means not having a character after God's similitude. --unrighteousness means not doing that which is right. , suppress the truth in unrighteousness,sin is suppressing truth in order to do that which is not right. 19 because what may be known of God is manifest among them, for God has shown it to them.God had endowed them with reason and conscience, He has given every man a measure of faith, they only need to reflect on the wisdom and power that went into the creation, to recognize many of the attributes of God. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, The knowledge of the Creator God was available, and they see the things He had created. so that they are without excuse 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.Paul does not excuse the pagans but rather says they are "without excuse". Sin is not only active breaking of God's law, it is also ignoring the evidence so that they don't need to change. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, Sin is being wise in one's own eyes. It sets self up as being wiser and more knowledgeable than God. 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping thingsInstead of acknowledging the Creator's hand and wisdom in His creation, they instead worship the creation. Sin is a downward spiral. God's ideal for mankind is to create in them the "image of God" -- characters reflecting His righteousness. Sin -- Ingratitude and a love for unrighteousness and self exaltation pervert mankind so thoroughly that they repress truth in order to exalt evil. Instead of moving upward with the glorious God, into the similitude of His character, they now worship created objects, indeed he now worships his own figment of reason, which can never lift, and which is foolishness, leading to ever lower levels of sin.
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Re: Fourth Quarter 2017 The Book of Romans
[Re: dedication]
#185319
10/20/17 04:34 PM
10/20/17 04:34 PM
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We should notice that God’s goodness leads, not forces, sinners to repentance. God uses no coercion. He is infinitely patient and seeks to draw all people by His love. A forced repentance would destroy the whole purpose of repentance, would it not? If God forced repentance, then would not everyone be saved, for why would He force some to repent and not others? Repentance must be an act of the free will, responding to the movement of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Yes, repentance is a gift from God, but we have to be ready and open to receive it, a choice that we alone can make for ourselves.
What is coercion, what would be an example of coercion?
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Re: Fourth Quarter 2017 The Book of Romans
[Re: dedication]
#185322
10/21/17 02:44 AM
10/21/17 02:44 AM
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OP
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A person convinced against his will, is of the same opinion still. Coercion demands obedience whether one wants to obey or not. Coercion only creates outward compliance, but does not win the heart or change the character. The issue is "the will" -- What do we DESIRE? God's goodness and love works with great patience to make the issues clear. He seeks to awaken in a person the realization of their hopelessly lost condition in the slavery of sin. He pours out mercy and grace to draw people out of sin and into life eternal. God reveals the facts and offers salvation but how will we react? Sin is not a sustainable condition, it is foolishness to be allured by the short fused glitter of sin, when God offers us something so much better. Scripture says we are without excuse, for the things of God are revealed. The state we are in, is known. Our need for a Savior is known. The available grace is known. But many just don't like it! They love their sins and prefer to enjoy them for a season. John 3 17 “Indeed, God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. 20 For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. 21 But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.” Coercion would be if God demanded those who chose to stay in darkness that they might enjoy the transitory pleasures, must now live in the light of His presence and worship Him whether they want to or not. It would be forced worship, with no heart, while the rebellious thoughts and desires and passions raged within. Heaven would NOT be a place of harmony, love and peace, if people were coerced abide by it's principles. God will not force worship. Worship cannot be forced for it is an act of the heart. Heaven is heaven because everyone there WANTS to worship and glorify God with hearts brimming with gratitude and love and longing to be more and more like Jesus and be in fellowship with Jesus.
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Re: Fourth Quarter 2017 The Book of Romans
[Re: dedication]
#185345
10/23/17 04:32 PM
10/23/17 04:32 PM
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A person convinced against his will, is of the same opinion still. Coercion demands obedience whether one wants to obey or not. Coercion only creates outward compliance, but does not win the heart or change the character.
Amen! Coercion would be if God demanded those who chose to stay in darkness that they might enjoy the transitory pleasures, must now live in the light of His presence and worship Him whether they want to or not. It would be forced worship, with no heart, while the rebellious thoughts and desires and passions raged within. Heaven would NOT be a place of harmony, love and peace, if people were coerced abide by it's principles.
God will not force worship. Worship cannot be forced for it is an act of the heart. Heaven is heaven because everyone there WANTS to worship and glorify God with hearts brimming with gratitude and love and longing to be more and more like Jesus and be in fellowship with Jesus.
Along with what you've said, and probably would imply, is that there would be no fear. For fear does not change the heart nor the character. Those in fear would not really want to be there.
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Re: Fourth Quarter 2017 The Book of Romans
[Re: dedication]
#185350
10/25/17 05:20 AM
10/25/17 05:20 AM
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OP
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Lesson for this week: JUSTIFICATION BY FAITHTexts Are We Better? Romans 3:9 What then? Are we better than they? Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin.
10 As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one;
Romans 3:19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 20 Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
God’s Righteousness Through Faith 21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law wand the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth bas a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
Boasting Excluded 27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.
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Re: Fourth Quarter 2017 The Book of Romans
[Re: dedication]
#185351
10/25/17 05:54 AM
10/25/17 05:54 AM
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The term "under the law" can be quite confusing as it is used in different ways. In Romans 3 What so ever things the law says, it says to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped Romans 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for you are not under the law, but under grace. 6:15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace?
1 Corinthians "to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; 9:21 To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. Gal. 3:23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up until faith be revealed Gal. 4:4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 4:5 To redeem them that were under the law, Gal. 4:21 Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? Gal. 5:18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. How do we understand the term? a) under the jurisdiction of the law b) under the condemnation of the law c) under the Jewish understanding of the law d) having a great knowledge of the Torah e) all of the above, and must be read in context? Here is J.N.Andrews thoughts on this. "Now we know that what things so ever 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. 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. Rom.3:19,20.
This portion of scripture presents in a striking light the state of mankind without a Saviour. The Apostle had been presenting in the previous verses numerous quotations from the Old Testament, showing the fearful state of fallen man. The verses which we have quoted, present us with the holy standard of rectitude by which the unrighteousness of men is made manifest, and their fearful crimes left without excuse. "What things so ever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law." How many, then, are under the law? The remainder of the verse determines this with certainty. "That every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God." This fact then is plainly stated: that the whole human family are addressed by the law of God; that all of its members without distinction of rank, or order, share in one general condemnation; and that condemnation is so just, that every mouth is shut, and all the world stands speechless before the bar of God. The twenty-third verse explains the cause of this: "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God."
The law of God can justify no flesh in his sight. But why cannot the law justify sinful man? Because by the law is the knowledge of sin. Man is guilty of transgression, and the law of God discovers and manifests this fact. The law is God's great rule of right; and as such, it shows every departure from rectitude and holiness. We have thus seen the sad state of fallen men. Let us now consider what God does for their salvation. If he takes back his law, one of two things must be true:- 1. He takes back an unjust law, and thus acknowledges that he was the cause of man's condemnation. But this is false; for we have seen that the law is so just that none can plead against its righteous sentence. Hence if God has taken back his law we shall be compelled to adopt the second position; namely,
2. He takes back a just law, thus denying his own moral character as expressed in that law, and overthrowing his own moral government. God cannot lie; and it is manifestly absurd to teach that God has abolished the principles of his own moral government. Hence we conclude that God did not, and could not overthrow his own moral law, in order to save its transgressors.
We inquire again, What did the great Law-giver do in order to save men? If he did not take back his law, and abolish his own moral government, what did he do? It would seem that but one other thing could be done; namely, to put the law in force upon its transgressors. In other words, to execute its penalty upon the human race. If this were done, all must be destroyed; for all were its transgressors; and the wages of sin is death. Let us now with gratitude and adoration look at the wondrous plan which God has devised for man's redemption: a plan in which justice and mercy meet together, and righteousness and peace kiss each other: [Ps.85:8-13:] a system of redemption by which God can be just and yet can justify him that believeth in Jesus. It is set forth by Paul in the following language:-
"Being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus; 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; to declare, I say, at this time his righteousness; that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus." Rom.3:24-26. In these words the great plan of redemption is set forth; but oh! what has it not cost! Man had broken the law of Jehovah and fallen under its awful and yet just condemnation. God could not reverse his holy law without destroying the moral government of the universe; but he so loved our race that he gave his only Son to die for perishing man. John3:14-17. He sent his Son to be the propitiation or offering for the sins of men. 1John4:10.
Christ came to take the curse of the law upon himself, and to offer his life as a ransom for its transgressors. Gal.3:13; 1Tim.2:5,6. The perpetuity of God's Law by J.N.Andrews
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