Commentary on "The Fruit of the Spirit is Righteousness"

GRACE CARLSON

 

Day 7: Friday, March 12, 2010

 

Overview:

Friday’s lesson simply quotes this:

“"It is not enough for us to believe that Jesus is not an imposter, and that the religion of the Bible is no cunningly devised fable. We may believe that the name of Jesus is the only name under heaven whereby man may be saved, and yet we may not through faith make Him our personal Saviour.  It is not enough to believe the theory of truth. It is not enough to make a profession of faith in Christ and have our names registered on the church roll.  'He that keepeth His commandments dwelleth in Him, and he in him.  And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.'  'Hereby we do know that we know Him if we keep His commandments.'  1 John 3:24; 2:3.  This is the genuine evidence of conversion. Whatever our profession, it amounts to nothing unless Christ is revealed in works of righteousness." (Ellen G. White, Christ's Object Lessons, pp. 312, 313; emphasis mine).

 

Consider this:

Compare the above Ellen White quote with Scripture:

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.  But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!  As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned! (Galatians 1:6-9).

Galatians 3:1-25:

You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified.  I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard?  Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? Have you suffered so much for nothing—if it really was for nothing?  Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?

Consider Abraham: "He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."  Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham. The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: "All nations will be blessed through you." So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law." Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, "The righteous will live by faith." The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, "The man who does these things will live by them."  Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree." He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

Brothers, let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case. The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say "and to seeds," meaning many people, but "and to your seed," meaning one person, who is Christ. What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise. For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on a promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise.

What, then, was the purpose of the law? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was put into effect through angels by a mediator. A mediator, however, does not represent just one party; but God is one.

Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law. But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.

Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith.  Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law.

 

Conclusion

1. Scripture must be the standard by which we test all things.
2. The Bible is clear that we are no longer under the Law.
3. The Bible is also clear that by faith, we are credited righteousness. As discussed in Sabbath’s Lesson, this righteousness is “imputed righteousness”; we are declared not guilty the moment we believe in and trust in Jesus Christ as our Savior.
4. God requires nothing more from us than faith. When we trust Him, He declares us as not guilty, and we become children of God.
5. His Spirit indwells us, giving our dead spirits life. Through His Spirit, we are able to live out His love. Apart from God, and without being born again, we are completely incapable of truly living in obedience to Him.
6. The obedience that He requires of us is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and to love one another.

 

 

 

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