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Commentary on "Justification by Faith Alone"
Day 3: Monday, October 17, 2011 - Works of the Law
Overview
Today’s lesson examines what “works of the law” really are and asks the reader to ponder whether or not he keeps the works of the law well enough that he can be justified before God. The lesson is actually a bit confusing and does not clearly explain how to understand being justified apart from works of the law.
Observations
The only way to understand being justified apart from works of the law (which includes every command found in the Torah, including the fourth commandment) is to understand what it means to be born again.
Scripture never tells us to have faith in Jesus and then use His power to help us keep the law. Rather, it says we are to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and we will be saved (Acts 16:31). When we believe in the Lord Jesus, we are born of His Spirit—and this new heart, this new Life in us changes us completely. We are now literally in Christ, and we are spiritually alive and seated with Christ in heavenly places (Eph. 2:6).
Works of the law are not even part of reality once we are born again. God Himself indwells us and gives us His mind (1 Cor. 2:16) and His Spirit, and we know from Him and His word what His will is. Instead of will power, we now live by surrender.
Adventism insists that law-keeping is the mark of being worthy of salvation. Scripture says otherwise. Receiving the Sin Bearer—submitting to the Lord Jesus is the way we are saved.
Summary
- We are to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ in order to be saved.
- When we believe in Him and repent for who we are, we are sealed with His Spirit and born again.
- His Spirit testifies with our spirits that we are children of God.
Copyright 2011 BibleStudiesForAdventists.com. All rights reserved. Revised October 16, 2011. This website is published by Life Assurance Ministries, Glendale, Arizona, USA, the publisher of Proclamation! Magazine. Contact email: BibleStudiesForAdventists@gmail.com.
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