What does Paul say is the law?s role in the saving process?

Well, I'll write it again, since it seems to have been missed.

The law has three basic purposes

THE MIRROR
1. It shows us we have sinned and we need a Savior.

This is what Romans 7:7 is talking about:
What shall we say then? Was the law the sin problem? God forbid. No, I would not have recognized sin, except by the law: for I would not have recognized lust, except the law said, Thou shalt not covet.

7:12 Wherefore the law [is] holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.
7:13 Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might be recognized as sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.

And James 1:23-25 likens God's perfect law of liberty to a mirror.


There would be no need for salvation, if there was no law telling us we are sinners.
There would be no need for forgiveness if there was no law that was transgressed.

Paul is very emphatic that justification is by faith not by works of the law. (Justification, is is by faith!) He is also very emphatic that this justification does NOT do away with God's law. " God forbid" it is not done away, grace is given for God's law to be lived in our lives, written upon not only on stone tablets but also on our hearts (Romans 6:15-16, 2 Cor. 3:3) written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart.

God's law, His WORDS spoken and written by Him, is the instrument the Holy Spirit uses to bring us to conversion.


2. THE GUARDIAN

2. The second purpose of the law, it is to teach all people right from wrong and be a a guardian to society in general. It's principles, if accepted, restrain them from descending into corruption. This earth is like a theater, in which the righteousness of God's laws are shown against the terrible consequences that are the natural result of disregarding God's law.
Every person in tune with God will be convinced that God's law is not arbitrary or restrictive, but right, honest and good, holy and the only way to live in a happy, safe, and peaceful society.

It's this concept of the law that we find in 1 Timothy 1:8-9 But we know that the law [is] good, if a man use it lawfully; Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers.
And guess what? We all have sinned. We all need God's law. The law was not given to restrain righteousness but to put a restraint on sinful society in general, a society from which God calls us to flee.



3. THE PROMISE AND TESTER OF THE SPIRITS

The third purpose of the law:
The moral life of the believer in Christ, is shaped by the WORD, Christ's moral law (the ten commandments). The commands that are restrictive to people following the sinful values of the world, are not considered restrictive to those in Christ, indeed they become promises to those in Christ.
" Whatever is to be done at His command may be accomplished in His strength. All His biddings are enablings." {COL 333.1}
God's commandments are as a shield, to shied us--
People (and it's quite prevalent in today's society) who say God's TEN WORDS, the commandments are no longer important usually want salvation without obedience to one or more of those commandments.
Also, sadly true, there are numerous people, in society and religious groups, which claim many things as coming from the "spirit". They are very much into "spirit" based worship.
But is it the true Holy Spirit? How can we know? In order to know truth we can't go by feeling. No, we need to know the WORDS of truth recorded in scripture for our benefit. The Holy Spirit does not work against the WORD of truth, He works through the WORD, He leads us into all truth, including all the "ten WORDS, we call ten commandments, glorifying Christ Who spoke the WORD. (See John 15-16)
Isaiah 8:20 To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this
WORD, it is because there is no light in them.
A lot of people will be deceived in the end by religious leaders who claim to be "spirit led". People will be deceived "because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved." 2 Thess 2:10.
1 John 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
THe Holy Spirit who leads into all truth will NEVER contradict the WORD of God which is truth.
Hereby we must test the spirits.

John 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy WORD is truth.

Lesson TEN
The Way the Truth and the Life!

In the study of the Gospel according to John, we have now come to several chapters recording Jesus last instructions to His disciples.

Chapter 13 has the story of the foot washing.
The job of a servant -- washing dirty, dusty feet before engaging in a social or religious gathering -- but on this occasion, there was no servant.

The disciples were rather often found in discussions and arguments (when Jesus supposedly wasn't listening) which usually centered on "which one of us will get the leading position", who will be the greatest?
So none of them were inclined to get down and wash anyone's feet.

But Jesus --
1:3 The One Who created all things, without Him nothing was made , that was made.
13:3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands and that He had come from God and was going to God.
He had a full consciousness of His divinity;

Those, hands, when one really thinks about it, were the hands of God! They upheld all things! This was the One Who created all things! Those hands actually formed the first human being out of the dust, and breathed into that inanimate form, the breath of life, and the first human came to life, in full vigor and maturity. Every human being that ever lived was sustained by the power of life within the owner of those hands!
God the Father had place "all things" in His hands.

How could those hands do menial servant work? But He did it with a heart full of love for these men, who followed Him, imperfect as they were. Even the feet of Judas, whose feet would take him down a dark path that very night, as he closed his heart to that outpouring of love.
What love! Amazing love. That love is for each one of us. A cleansing love. A humbling love!




The ordinance [foot washing] preceding the Lord's Supper is to clear away these misunderstandings, to bring man out of his selfishness, down from his stilts of self-exaltation, to the humility of heart that will lead him to serve his brother. {1MCP 277.1}

LESSON ELEVEN
The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit

How does the apostle refer to God the Father?


THE LOVE OF GOD AND OF CHRIST
John 3:16-17 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son..
God did not send His Son to condemn the world but to save the world through Him.

It is interesting to compare this verse with other verses:
Galatians 2:20 I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Ephesians 5:2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us
Eph. 5:25 Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
2 Thess. 2:16 Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given [us] everlasting consolation and good hope through grace,
John 16:27 For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me,

So we see BOTH loved and gave, it was an act of ultimate Divine love from both the Father and the Son, giving so immeasurably much, that we might have life!
We must believe that the Father Himself, loves us; we must take Christ at His word, believe that He came to represent the Father, and that the Father, Himself, is our friend, and that His desire is that we should not perish, or He would never have given His Son to die our sacrifice.

"The Godhead was stirred with pity for the race, and the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit gave themselves to the working out of the plan of redemption. {RH, May 2, 1912 par. 3}

THE JUDGE
John 5:22 The Father judges no one but has entrusted all judgment to the Son that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father.
John 5:30 Jesus says, I don't do anything of Myself, as I hear, I judge; and My Judgments is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.
Again, they work in perfect harmony.
God the Father is not some ruthless judge, eager to crush the sinner, while Christ is begging for Him to show mercy. "The Father judges no man, but has committed all judgment unto the Son. . . . And has given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man." Christ accepted humanity and lived on this earth a pure, sanctified life. He is the Lamb slain, supplying, at great cost to Himself, the only means by which mankind can be saved. For this reason He has received the appointment of judge. He who occupies the position of judge is God manifest in the flesh.
The very One who gave His precious life for them, who by His acts of grace moved their hearts to repentance, who awakened them to their need of repentance, and greatly desires to receive them into the joy of salvation, it is He who is the judge!

He is their defense. His righteousness covers all who love, trust and live for Him. He alone is the judge of their righteousness, for He created them, and at infinite cost to Himself redeemed them. He knows who are His.
Romans 2:16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.
The judgment will be conducted in accordance with the rules God has laid down, His righteousness stands forever. He is the Ancient of Days, before Whom Christ presents the names of all who are redeemed through His power and blood. (see Dan. 7:9-10,13, Rev. 3:5) God the Father and Son never work in opposition to each other. They work as one, together, in perfect unity and purpose. Love and judgment are combined in perfect righteousness.

THE TEACHINGS
John 6:45 And they shall all be taught by God. Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me.
John 7:16 Jesus answered them and said, My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me.
John 5:38 You do not have His word abiding in you, because you do not believe the One whom He sent.

Had they understood and believed the Words of God in scripture, Christ's Words would have been familiar and recognized as the truth from God.
We need to familiarize ourselves with the words of scripture. We need to ask the Holy Spirit to lead us into all the truth in God's word, and open our minds in the knowledge of the truth in God's Word. Without it we cannot discern the net of deceptions, and will walk into them as readily as the Jews in Christ's day, who could not see God the Father in Jesus, or hear the words, or see the works of God in scripture repeated by Jesus.

LESSON ELEVEN
The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit

We know the Father through Christ.
We approach the Father only through Christ.

john 5:37 And the Father himself, which has sent me, has borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape.
John 6 :46 Not that any man has seen the Father, save he which is of God, he has seen the Father.
John 8:19 Then they said to Jesus, Where is your Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also.

Thomas asks how they can know the way He is going. Jesus answers, ?no one comes to the Father but through Me? (John 14:6).

Jesus continues in John 14:7, ?If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also.?

Here we find that to know Jesus is to know the Father. The Father and the Son are one, yet two distinct persons. Jesus is God manifest. That means He is the One who shows us what God is like.
He has been the One who goes forth from the "throne room of God" so to speak, veils His glory and mingles with the created, (whether angels or humans) telling them about God's plans.

1 John 5:20 And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.

In verses john 14:10 and 11 Jesus shows that it is really not an issue of literally seeing, but in believing. He says, "Do you not believe ? " in verse 10 and, "Believe Me," in verse 11. It's a believing issue here. He gives two reasons for believing His statement that "He who has seen Me has seen the Father."

14:10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works.
5:36 for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.
Jesus demonstrates that knowing Him is knowing the Father because all that Jesus has said to them and the works He has done, have come at the Father's initiative.
Jesus' words and works prove that He reveals the Father.
To hear Jesus speak, or read His Words in scripture, is to hear the Father speak, for the Father's message came through Jesus.

THE FATHER,SON, HOLY SPIRIT
Lesson 11

Jesus restoring mankind into favor with God.

Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
Luke 3:38 Adam, which was the son of God.


But something terrible happened to disconnect the human race from God.

Romans 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:
Genesis 3:17,19 Because you (Adam) have... eaten of the tree, of which I commanded you, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it... in sorrow shalt thou ...eat bread, till you return unto the ground; for out of it you were taken: for dust you are, and unto dust you shall return.

Without God's intervention all hope and future for mankind was lost.

Romans 5:8,9 But God revealed his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.. 5:19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one (Man) shall many be made righteous.

Adam, the head of the human race, fell into sin and took the whole human race with Him.

Christ took the place of Adam.
This is the glorious truth, that Christ, left the glory and honor that was His in heaven, came to stand before God as the head of the human race, and win back mankind. To do so He Himself became "flesh".
He, for whom it was not robbery to be equal with God, humbled Himself to be one with us, and more, to take mankind's sin and die in our place. (See Phil. 2:2-7)

John 1:14 And the Word (Jesus) was made flesh (became a human being) , and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

Here for the first time in the New Testament we see the phrase "only begotten of the Father" referring to Jesus. Some are teaching that this applies to the origin of Jesus in ages past, yet is that correct? Let's look at the usage of that term in the Old Testament.

In Luke 3:38 Adam is "the son of God".
In Genesis 3:15 The woman, Eve, is promised that through her "seed" (her descendants), One would come who would defeat the serpent.
In Genesis 22:11 The promise is repeated to Abraham. Through his "seed", his descendants the covenanted One would come.
From here we see the line in scripture being established though chosen humans, to the ultimate covenanted Son of God, Jesus! The ONLY begotten sons, through whom the ultimate "seed" would come are neither the literal first or the only in the biological sense, but they are the chosen in the covenant plan.
Isaac -- Genesis 22:12 is called Abraham's "ONLY" son. But Isaac was Abraham's second son, yet he is the one and only son, through whom the covenant promise will come. He is symbolic of the son of promise.
Jacob -- another son of promise, becomes the father of Israel.

Israel, the whole nation is called God's firstborn son in Exodus 4:22. God is their Father, who begot them. Deut. 32:6,18

David and Solomon are each called "God's son" begotten of God, God is their Father. (Ps. 2:7, Ps.89:20,27; 1 Chro 22:10)

They all were part of the covenant promise that the "seed" would come. Yet, none could redeem the human race. They were faulty humans, whose only hope was in the coming seed which would come through them. When John calls Jesus "the only begotten of the Father" he is identifying Him as the one in whom all Israel had their hope for redemption! Israel, like Adam had failed to bring humanity into the restoration of sonship with God.
As Isaiah mentions; Isaiah 63:5 I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation .
Jesus SUCCEEDS!

Jesus took on humanity, He became the Son of God so that we might become sons and daughters of God through Him.



This by the way, was not an after thought. This covenant arrangement was agreed upon before any other beings were created.
Rev. 13:8 the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
1 Peter 1:20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,

In taking on humanity Jesus fully depended upon the Father, and lived in full obedience to the Father. He never once used His own divinity to make things easier for Himself. Every thing He said and did was in perfect accord with the will of His Father.

Yet, John makes it clear that Jesus was God, one with the Father.

John 1:1-3 In the beginning was the Word (Jesus) and the word was with God and the Word was God.
John 6:69 And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.
John 10:30-33 (Jesus said) I and my Father are one.
10:31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him... saying, For a good work we are not stoning you; but for blasphemy; and because that you, being a man, makest thyself God.

The disciples believed, but so many refused to believe.
Those who believe become sons and daughters of God!

John :12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, [even] to them that believe on his name:
1 John 3:1-3 Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world does not know us, because it knew not Him.
Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
And every man that has this hope in him purifies himself, even as he is pure.

Hebrews 2:11 For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren
Mark 3:34 And Jesus, looking about at those who sat around him, said, ?Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.?

THE FATHER,SON, HOLY SPIRIT
Lesson 11

A great Gift -- the Holy Spirit.

Christ is the Word, His Word is truth and life!
Yet, without the Holy Spirit to enlighten the mind and enlarge the comprehension, faith would be weak. It is the Holy Spirit Who quickens the mind and soul to spiritual life. People may have intellectual knowledge of truth but unless they are actuated by the heaven-born agency of the Holy Spirit, they are not converted or born again.

The great truth of the conversion of the heart by the Holy Spirit is presented in Christ's words to Nicodemus: "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born from above, he can not see the kingdom of God. . . . That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

We will never fully understand the nature of the Holy Spirit. But we must believe that He is a very important member of the Godhead.



Yet we can know that the Holy Spirit is REAL!
He is the third person of the One God.



John 14:16 (Jesus said) And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth;
John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
John 15:26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceeds from the Father, he shall testify of me:
John 16:8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
16:9 Of sin, because they believe not on me;
16:10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;
16:11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.

John 16:13 This is how it will be, when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come.
16:14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you.
16:15 All things that the Father has are mine: therefore I say, that he shall take of mine, and shall show it unto you.





Of the Spirit Jesus said, "He shall glorify me." The Saviour came to glorify the Father by the demonstration of His love; so the Spirit was to glorify Christ by revealing His grace to the world.

He is another comforter, Who speaks in Christ's name.

He does not speak of Himself, but testifies of Jesus.
Stimulating the mind to bring into remembrance what Christ has said.
Leading into all truth.

THE PRAYER OF JESUS
John 17
Lesson 11

The prayer of Jesus just before His trial, is an awesome prayer, full of truth. Yet it is also a chapter from which various groups have drawn contentions.

1. Unity.
John 17:11 "keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we [are].
17:21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, [art] in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
17:22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:

What is this unity that Jesus longs to see? The texts are often used to promote ecumenical unity. Is this what it means, to put aside all doctrinal differences and find unity together on the most basic, generalized concepts?
The texts themselves, do not show a unity that disregards truth. It is a unity in Christ and in truth.
The three angel's messages urgently call for people to separate from false religion and false teachings, yet we also find that unity of believers in Christ is an important part of being a son or daughter of Christ.
When individual members of the church love God supremely and their neighbor as themselves, there will be a oneness together with Christ. The members will cherish love, peace and unity and be as one great family in Christ.

Before the Holy Spirit descended upon the group of disciples on the day of Pentecost, those people were spending a lot of time in prayer, and in making things right with each other. It wasn't until they were all "in one accord", one purpose, having broken down those walls of self exaltation, with the humility and love of Christ established in their hearts, that the fullness of the Holy Spirit came, for only then could the Holy Spirit work through these men for God's glory.
True unity is only possible if we are in unity with Christ.


2. Truth
Jesus prayed: "Father, the hour is come; glorify Thy Son, that Thy Son also may glorify Thee: as Thou hast given Him power over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as Thou hast given Him. And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent." John 17:1-2
.
Jesus, Who was with God and was God, was from the beginning with God (John1:1) became flesh and lived among us (1:14) leaving the splendors of heaven, He came down to this dark world to show us humans the truth about God! He had finished the work that was given Him to do. That work had glorified God on the earth. He had manifested the Father's name. He had gathered out those who were to continue His work among men.

This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ! (John 17:3)
I and my Father are one. (10:30)
If you have seen me you have seen the Father. (14:9)

The only way to know the Father, is to know the Son.
They are not the same "person" but they are one God!

The disciples received the truth as they came to understand the very words of Jesus, were the words God gave Him, and they fully believed that Christ came to this earth from His place of intimate union with the Father, and they believed that God the Father sent Him, and that everything He did and said was in perfect accord with the Father.

This is not denying that Christ is true God. No!!! Christ is the eternal Son of God, with God, and is God. He is truth and life from all eternity. This passage is about believing that this MAN who was with them in person, in His humanity, was God manifest, in every word and act showing them the truth about God the Father.

John 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

Knowing Truth, however is more than just an intellectual acknowledgement. "Many are led to think that they are on the road to heaven because they profess to believe in Christ, while they reject the law of God." Yet, God's law are His words. Those words reveal His character. Jesus is the "Word"! Though no longer physically with us, in the same sense Jesus was with the disciples while on earth, God has given us the scriptures which contain his words. He has given us the Holy Spirit to impress the truth of His Words in our minds and hearts, to awaken us spiritually, and be intimately with us, connecting us with God.