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| Atonement and the Cross of Christ
Introduction
Contents
Helps
Discussion Groups
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| INTRODUCTION The Doctrine of Atonement When taken to the hospital, the old herdsman was sick, blind, and dying. While he was there his granddaughter came every day and read to him; the old man enjoyed the soft sound of the child's voice. One day she found, in the room, a Bible left by a friend. She casually opened to 1 John 1 and began to read. He listened attentively, and when he heard the words "And the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin," he interrupted her.  "Tell me," he said, "is that really there?"
"Yes, Grandpa, it's there." "Could you read it to me again?" " 'And the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.' " For a few seconds there was silence; then he asked, "Are you quite sure that's there, in that book?" "Yes, Grandpa, quite sure." "Please, take my hand and place my finger on that passage and read it to me again." As she did it, tears dripped down from his sightless eyes, and his voice was heard speaking with difficulty but with great assurance. "My dear child . . . if anyone should ask you how I died, please tell them that I died . . . cleansed." What this story shows is that the doctrine of atonement is not an abstract theory of salvation; it is, rather, the saving power of God in the lives of fallen, sinful beings. What is atonement? In general, it could be said that the word atonement refers to the removal of any hindrance to fellowship with God. In a sense, atonement is the equivalent of reconciliation, but it also includes the idea of expiation, a fancy word that portrays the idea of removing any barrier that exists between God and us. The doctrine of atonement emphasizes the sacrifice of Christ as the exclusive expiatory means by which the barrier between us and God—which is sin—is removed, leaving us reconciled to Him. The atonement, in fact, is the biblical doctrine around which all others revolve. It is centered in Christ's life, death, resurrection, ascension, mediation, and return. It presupposes the presence of sin, our fundamental and desperate need of salvation, and God's loving disposition to save us. A proper understanding of the biblical doctrine of God is also indispensable for understanding the atonement. It was God's love that made it possible to restore us to union and fellowship with Him through Jesus Christ. We should never give the impression that the death of Christ was needed in order to persuade God to love us. God sent Christ to die for us because He already loved us. The biblical doctrine of atonement is grounded in God's love for sinful and rebellious creatures. The fullness of the benefits of the atonement is enjoyed only by those who, after being touched by the Holy Spirit, accept God's offer of salvation in Christ as the exclusive means of forgiveness and reconciliation. Their hearts are possessed by love and gratitude to God and Christ for this infinite sacrifice. Thus, it's our sincere hope that this quarter, as you study the meaning of Christ's substitutionary sacrifice, you will be moved toward a greater commitment to the One who suffered so much for us, so that whether you live or die, you can, like the old herdsman, do so in peace. Dr. Ángel M. Rodríguez, a native of Puerto Rico, is the director of the Biblical Research Institute at the General Conference headquarters, Silver Spring, Maryland.
Contents: (all lessons may not be posted)
Giardina Sabbath School Study Helps Jerry Giardina of Pecos, Texas, assisted by his wife, Cheryl, prepares a series of helps to accompany the Sabbath School lesson. He includes all related scripture and most EGW quotations. Jerry has chosen the "New King James Version" of the scriptures this quarter. It is used with permission. The study helps are provided in three wordprocessing versions Wordperfect; Microsoft Word; RTF for our MAC friends (this is now a zip file); and HTML (Web Pages).
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God's Nature: The Basis of Atonement
(Psalms 102, 1 John 4, Isaiah 40)
Atonement and the Cross of Christ: Lesson 1
Copr. 2008, Bruce N. Cameron, J.D. All scripture references are to the New International Version (NIV), copr. 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society, unless otherwise noted. Quotations from the NIV are used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers. Suggested answers are found within parentheses. The lesson assumes the teacher uses a blackboard or some other visual aid. This lesson can be found at: <url:http://www.GoBible.Org/study/523.php>
Introduction: Have you ever thought about how long God has been around? Just saying, "How long" implies a specific period of time. Can you imagine a God who has always been? There is much scientific evidence for the "Big Bang" theory of the origin of the universe. We can observe that the universe is uniformly expanding outward at a set rate of speed. Two logical conclusions flow from this. First, the universe had a creation point (the "bang"). Second, since the rate of expansion is perfectly timed, an Intelligence guided the "bang." If time was created when the universe was created, then the "Intelligence" exists in a realm outside of time. Let's dive into the Bible and see what it says on this subject!
Creator God
Read Psalms 102:25. Do the heavens and the earth have a beginning, according to the Psalmist? (Yes.)
Read Genesis 1:1-2. Just looking at these two verses, does it appear to you that the heavens and the earth were created at a point in time before our specific world was further developed? (These verses can easily be understood this way. God "bangs" the universe into existence, and then He sets to "work" to improve our "formless and empty" earth into the Creation. The amount of the time lapse is not indicated.)
Read Psalms 102:26. Does our earth have a finite time to exist? (Yes.)
What happens when the earth wears out? (God creates a new one.)
Imagine a God who is so powerful that creating a new world is like you putting on new clothes. What would you do if it turned out that the set of clothing you had just created had a defect?
Consider the options open to God when Adam and Eve sinned. What would you have done?
Read Psalms 102:27-28. What does this tell us about our Eternal God and the future of His defective children? (It suggests that humans will live in His eternal presence. Their earth will wear out, but God will make a place for them in His presence.)
Which member of the Trinity is the one who created our earth? (Skim Hebrews 1:8-12. The writer of Hebrews tells us that Psalms 102:25-27 refer to Jesus (the Son). He is the Creator.)
Read Isaiah 65:17-19. We learned that God will make a place for His people after this earth has worn out. What place is that? (He makes a new heaven and a new earth.)
Will the new earth remind us of the old earth? (God mentions a new city with the name of an old city - Jerusalem. I think that the new earth will have places we recognize from the old earth.)
What major differences will there be in the geography of the new earth? (Read Revelation 21:1. The sea is gone. Most of the present earth is covered with water.)
Loving God
So far we learned that God (specifically Jesus) created the earth and will recreate it. The good news is that we do not need to die when the old earth dies. That does not make logical sense, because we are defective. We sinned. If God can make a new earth as easily as He changes His clothes, why not just create a new, better grade of humans while He is at it? What interest would He have in preserving us?
Read 1 John 4:9-10. What interest does God have in us? (He loves us.)
Why? Look at the person to the right of you. Would you give up your only son for that person?
Would you give up your son if that person was in trouble and facing death due to their own fault? Let's say that person is dying of AIDS because of an improper sexual relationship and your son has always been pure sexually?
What if you could easily create a new, better version of the person sitting to your right? Would you give up your son then?
Let's go beyond a simple trade - your son for that person to the right of you. Assume that person to the right of you (and that person's family) planned to torture your son in this trade. Would you do it then?
Read 1 John 4:7-8. Do you know God? (My brain is not big enough to "know" God. That He would give up Himself, give up His Son, to death and torture for me is beyond my ability to grasp. It is a love beyond my comprehension.)
Does this mean that I (and you, if you just agreed with me) do not fit within 1 John 4:7-8? (I don't think any honest person can say they completely grasp the enormity of God's love. These verses say that an attribute of a born again person is that we will love that person sitting to the right of us (and left of us and those all around us).)
We are the beneficiaries of a love that we cannot completely comprehend. What fortunate people we are!
God Without Equal
Read Isaiah 40:25-26. What is your answer to the question in verse 25? (Based on what we just learned, God has no equal.)
What is the pagan's answer? (Time and chance.)
Time and time again, God pins His claims, His entitlement to our allegiance, on His Creation of the world and His recreation of humans through Jesus' redemption of us. In that light, is it fair to call the Genesis account a myth or an allegory?
I was just reading something written by retired Professor Irvin Taylor, a cultural anthropologist. He said that "most educated" members of my church who live in the more developed countries "have matured past the point" of taking the Genesis account of God's creation literally. What do you think? If we become more "mature," live in a certain place and have "higher" education, will we start believing that time and chance are the true explanation for God's amazing claims? (Full disclosure: I am not familiar enough with Prof. Taylor's views to know whether he has "matured" to the point of believing in time and chance as opposed to simply disbelieving the Genesis account.)
It is hard for me to believe that Professor Taylor really thinks that geography and age make the real difference in a person's thinking. What I suspect he is really talking about is higher education. Should a highly educated person be more likely to disbelieve God's claims? (My goal is to reconcile God's eternal truths with whatever science currently claims is the true. If the Christian God stakes His claim to our allegiance on His Creation and Redemption, logic says that people who disbelieve Him need to seek out another god who makes no such claims.)
Look again at Isaiah 40:26. The Psalmist says not one of the stars is missing. Missing? How could you lose a star? (This is one of the astonishing things about the rate of expansion of the universe. If it expanded too quickly, it would blow apart. If it expanded too slowly, gravity would take over and it would implode. God has precisely ordered the universe.)
Read Psalms 139:1-4. God has a universe to mind. He has nations and rulers to mind. Has He time for you? Has He the capacity to know about your (my) little life? (The Psalmist tells us that God knows everything about my life.)
Friend, do you need to expand your thinking about God? Do you need to expand your view of the love He has for you? The idea that we can scratch a rock, and then with our limited mental ability extrapolate truth which contradicts the plainest teaching of Scriptures is the ultimate arrogance. Will you today decide to repent and give God His proper place in the universe He created?
Next week: Cosmic Crisis: The Disruption of God's Established Order.
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Cosmic Crisis: The Disruption of God's Established Order
(Ezekiel 28, Isaiah 14, Genesis 3, Job 1)
Atonement and the Cross of Christ: Lesson 2
Copr. 2008, Bruce N. Cameron, J.D. All scripture references are to the New International Version (NIV), copr. 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society, unless otherwise noted. Quotations from the NIV are used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers. Suggested answers are found within parentheses. The lesson assumes the teacher uses a blackboard or some other visual aid. This lesson can be found at: <url:http://www.GoBible.Org/study/524.php>
Introduction: Many people ask "How could sin arise out of perfection?" Since I doubt I'll ever figure it out with my human brain, I prefer to ask "Why did sin arise in a perfect place?" If we figure that out, it might help us to be more alert to the sin problem in our life. The Bible gives us some strong clues as to the main reason why sin arose. What would you think if we learned that the root cause of the sin problem was not considered to be a serious sin today? Let's jump right into our study of the Bible and learn more!
How Sin Began
Read Isaiah 14:12-14. Who is this text speaking about? (If you look at Isaiah 14:3-4 you will see this refers to "taunt[s] against the King of Babylon.")
Look again at Isaiah 14:12. Was the King of Babylon ever in heaven? How can the verse say he was "cast down to earth" if he lived here?
Read Ezekiel 28:12-17. Who is this text speaking about? (Verse 12 says "a lament concerning the King of Tyre.")
Look again at Ezekiel 28:13. Was the King of Tyre living in Eden with Adam and Eve?
Look again at Ezekiel 28:14. Was the King of Tyre once a "guardian cherub" who lived in heaven? (This guy really gets around!)
Did sin begin with the Kings of Babylon and Tyre? In our study about the origin of sin, why do we care about the Kings of Babylon and Tyre? (Two things. First, Bible commentators customarily link these texts to Satan. Some do it without even bothering to acknowledge the link to these earthly kings. However, the questions we discussed show that these verses cannot simply refer to earthly kings. Second, it seems reasonable to conclude these texts refer to the power behind these earthly thrones. That power is Satan.)
Why doesn't the Bible just plainly say "This is Satan?" (God wants us to seek the deeper meaning in the Bible. Peter does a similar thing when he explains that King David's comments - which are mostly about himself (Psalms 16:9-11)- refer to Jesus(Acts 2:25-32). Just as Jesus was the power behind the throne of David, so Satan was the power behind the throne of the Kings of Babylon and Tyre.)
Since these texts in Isaiah and Ezekiel refer to Satan, let's look at them more carefully. Compare Ezekiel 28:12-14 with Isaiah 14:12. What kind of position did Satan have in heaven? (Ezekiel 28:14 tells us he was a "guardian cherub" "on the holy mount of God." This must have meant he held a very high position in heaven. He worked, as it were, in the throne room.)
Was Satan a created being? (Yes. Ezekiel 28:13.)
What kind of being was Satan? (Ezekiel 28:12 tells us he was "the model of perfection." That he was "full of wisdom and perfect in beauty." He must have been something special because Isaiah 14:12 calls him "morning star, son of the dawn.")
Compare Isaiah 14:13-14 with Ezekiel 28:15&17 to see what we can learn about how evil began. How did evil begin in a high-ranking perfect being, in a perfect world? (It sounds like pride. Ezekiel tells us specifically that Satan's beauty and wisdom caused his heart to become proud. Isaiah tells us that Satan decided that he was entitled to be like God.)
The Temptation of Eve
Read Genesis 3:4-6. Next week we are going to discuss in more detail the fall of humans. However, looking at how sin occurred on earth might give us a clue about how it began in heaven. What is at the bottom of the temptation made to Eve? (Pride - specifically, wanting to become like God.)
Why would Satan take this approach with Eve? (This tells me that Satan has now recognized the nature of his sin. If he sinned because of pride, why not appeal to the pride of these humans?)
What does this tell you about the sin of pride? (It seems that pride is the root source of sin.)
Has anyone in your church ever been disciplined for pride? Or, do you make the proud people the leaders of your church?
Can we even recognize the sin of pride? What are examples? Can you think of any examples in your life?
Have you ever said, "I know what the Bible says, but I am too sophisticated and modern to follow that advice?"
When I was a young man, the fight in the church over wearing jewelry was just starting. When I became a church elder, I recall being asked to refrain from wearing my wedding ring to church board meetings. I complied to avoid "offending" those who were obviously "weaker" brothers. (See Romans 14.) Read again Ezekiel 28:13. Who gave Satan all this "jewelry?" (It must have been God!)
What was the affect on his life? (It added to his pride.)
The fight in our church over jewelry is now over, and jewelry won. Do you think the fight was much ado over nothing? (If you wear your jewelry to show you are better (richer) than others, then it is an important issue - it is part of the deadly sin of pride.)
Should we also discuss our homes, cars and clothes? Or, is that enough "meddling" for one class?
The Rebellion
Read Revelation 12:7-9. We have again a reference to being cast down to earth. What did Satan's pride lead to? (It lead first to him converting other angels to his rebellious, proud views. After he had enough followers, he engaged in open battle with God.)
What was Satan's goal? (To take over the rulership of the universe! Isaiah 14:13-14.)
How could a created being think that he could do that? (He knew more than God. Ever see people like that today? Ever examine your own life for that attitude?)
Read Job 1:8-11. What, really, is Satan's charge against God? (People serve God for what they can get.)
Is that a wrong motive? Before you answer, skim over Deuteronomy 28, Malachi 3:10-12, John 14:2-3, Matthew 19:27-29. Why would God appeal to our sense of "things" if it were wrong?
Satan takes away all of Job's things. Let's see how Job reacts. Read Job 1:20-22. What does the Bible suggest would be sin for Job? (Thinking that God had done something wrong by allowing Job's "stuff" to be taken away.)
Consider all of this. God appeals to us with stuff. Satan says "They serve you for stuff." When Job loses his stuff, heaven sees the issue as whether God did something wrong. What does this teach us is the real test for Job? (Whether he trusts God.)
Choosing Sides
We see arguments, debates and rebellion all the time. The Bible was written from God's point of view. As they say, "winners get to write the history books." How can we know God was right and Satan was wrong? Is it possible that Satan's pride was based on a genuine ability to do things better?
Read Genesis 4:1-8. This is the first big event after Adam and Eve have chosen Satan over God. How does God act towards Cain's disobedience?
How does Cain act towards his obedient brother, Abel? (This showcases the difference between the two sides. God reasons with Cain. Cain kills Abel as a result of anger and pride. When Satan gets the upper hand, death follows. Jesus broke that cycle by dying in our place.)
Read Matthew 22:37-40. What is God's own description of the primary rule of His kingdom? (Love. Not death. Not anger. Not pride.)
Friend, do you see the thread of logic running through the cosmic rebellion? Pride is trusting yourself. Proud Satan thought he could do better than God. He did not trust God. When Eve was told God had withheld knowledge from her, she did not trust God. Her pride said she was entitled to be like God. When Job lost everything, the real issue was whether he would trust God. Pride versus trust. Works versus faith. God's kingdom is a kingdom of love and trust. Will you place your faith in God and trust Him whatever happens? Will you trust Him when the(American)stock market drops 777 points?
Next week: The Fall Into Sin.
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The Fall Into Sin
(Genesis 3)
Atonement and the Cross of Christ: Lesson 3
Copr. 2008, Bruce N. Cameron, J.D. All scripture references are to the New International Version (NIV), copr. 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society, unless otherwise noted. Quotations from the NIV are used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers. Suggested answers are found within parentheses. The lesson assumes the teacher uses a blackboard or some other visual aid. This lesson can be found at: <url:http://www.GoBible.Org/study/525.php>
Introduction: There is an old saying: "You get one shot at the king; either you kill him or he kills you." Imagine the thinking of Satan: if you were given one opportunity to test the loyalty of Adam and Eve, wouldn't you bring your best argument, your best temptation? Everything was riding on that "one shot." I wonder if Adam and Eve gave as much thinking to their upcoming test? Let's jump into our lesson and consider how sin entered our world!
The Shot
Read Genesis 3:1. Some people do not believe that the Biblical account of the fall of humans into sin is literal. Do you think a snake is really speaking to Eve?
Most Christians think the snake is Satan. Revelation 20:2 calls Satan "that ancient serpent." If this snake really is Satan, does that prove this story is an allegory and not literal?
Why does the Bible tell us that the snake was the smartest animal around? Why is that detail necessary? (This explanation suggests the story is literal. If any animal could speak, this one could. Thus, Eve would not have been surprised to have been speaking to a snake.)
Do we have to choose between a smart snake and Satan? Between believing this story is literal or believing the snake is Satan? (A New Testament story helps unravel this mystery. Mark 5 contains the story of the demons "Legion" (Mark 5:9) who possessed first a man and later a herd of pigs. The demons spoke through the man, according to the Biblical account, and they could have spoken through the pigs. I think Genesis 3 is a literal account and Mark reveals what is happening here. Satan takes control of a snake. Because snakes are so smart, Eve is not shocked to hear a snake talk. Note that the apostle Paul refers to this as if it were a literal event. 2 Corinthians 11:3.)
Why does Satan (Genesis 3:1) ask about eating from trees? Why does he state what is obviously not true? (Remember, this is the "test," the "one shot." You don't want anyone arguing later that Eve "missed the meeting" about eating from the trees. Satan did not want a dispute about whether she understood God's command, so he misstated it so that she would correct him.)
Read Genesis 3:2-3. What do you think about Eve's response? Does she answer correctly? (She is both wrong and ambiguous. Read Genesis 2:16-17. God did not say anything about "touching" the fruit. According to the Bible He merely said "Don't eat." Notice that there were two trees in the middle of the garden: the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and the Tree of Life. (Genesis 2:9))
Was refraining from touching the fruit a good idea? (If you are going to avoid eating it, it helps if you avoid touching it.)
Was Eve doing the right thing in saying that if she touched the fruit she would die? That would be a good idea, right? (Read Deuteronomy 4:1-2. I think it is a serious mistake to confuse what is a "good idea" with what God actually said is sin. When you teach your children about sin, do not confuse in their minds what is actually sin and what are good ideas to avoid sin. Otherwise, when they violate your "good idea" and find no harm, they will think that the same is true with sin.)
Read Genesis 3:4-5. This is Satan's "shot" to obtain the loyalty of humans. Analyze Satan's approach. What does he do? (First, he flatly contradicts God. Second, Satan suggests that God has lied to Eve so that she will remain inferior. She can be like God.)
How would you characterize Satan's temptation to Eve? Is it appetite? Is it trust? Is it greed? Is it vanity? Is it pride? (I think it is all of these things except appetite. Eve decides to trust in her (about to be acquired) knowledge, rather than trust in God. This is pride.)
Compare Genesis 3:22 with Genesis 3:5. Was Satan telling the truth? (In part.)
Did God hide the fact that He did not want humans to know about evil? (Read Genesis 2:17. God gives the tree the label "knowledge of good and evil." In the Bible account, He does not explain why they should not eat it. He just tells them the penalty.)
What lesson is there in this for you today? (We laugh at parents who answer the "Why?" of their children with "Because I told you so!" I determined that I would always give my children a reason for my rules. Perhaps that was the wrong approach. On some things we need to learn that God does not need to explain His rules to humans other than to say, "I'm God and you are not.")
What percentage of the population does not trust the Creation account or the story of the fall of humans?
Where do they find an alternative account? (The theory of evolution, for one.)
How ironic is this? Let's assume for a minute that this is all allegory, myth or whatever label they use to say "I cannot believe this is literal." If anything is to be taken away from this story, what is it? (That we are to trust God and what He says rather than depend on our own understanding. If even the "myth" people believe there is a lesson here, why don't they apply it to this story? Why would they think they should supply their own story based on their own supposed knowledge?)
The Fall
Read Genesis 3:6. Why did Eve eat the fruit when she knew what God said? (The text says that the fruit was desirable to look at. It looked like good food. It would give her wisdom.)
Why would the appearance of the fruit be a major factor in Eve's decision? (What she saw contradicted what she expected from a tree that God said would cause death. Surely a "death tree" would have ugly, or at least suspicious looking fruit.)
Was Eve's sin a gradual one? (I think a major problem was that Eve misstated the law of God (Genesis 3:3). She touched the fruit before she ate it. Because she did not die when she touched the fruit, she was led to believe that God was not trustworthy and she would gain wisdom by eating it.)
How many times have you thought that God was untrustworthy when the real problem was your failure to read and understand God's word?
Why did Adam eat the fruit in violation of God's command? (Read 1 Timothy 2:14. Paul tells us that Adam was not deceived.)
Paul seems to conclude that Adam is entitled to some credit because he was not deceived and Eve was deceived. How do you look at this? (All sin is sin, but I look at deliberate disobedience in a far worse light. Consider how you compare the two when your children disobey you.)
If you were giving advice to Eve, what would it be? (She should have been on full alert when the serpent contradicted God (Genesis 3:4). She should have been more familiar with God's word. She should have trusted God and not her own intellect. She should have been satisfied with the knowledge God had given her.)
What advice would you give Adam? (With Eve, it seems there is room to get this right "next time." With Adam, he just seemed to flatly disobey God.)
God's Reaction
How would you react to Adam and Eve if you were God?
Read Genesis 3:8-11. What does God do after Adam and Eve sin? (He comes looking for them.)
Read Isaiah 59:1-2. Why didn't God just abandon the earth when Adam and Eve sinned? Isaiah seems to say when you sin God turns away from you. How do you explain the apparent contradiction between what we observe about God in Eden and Isaiah's statement? (When I was a young man, I was taught that if I sinned God would not listen to me. It was a horrifying thought - I could make decisions that would cause God to abandon me.)
Read Ephesians 5:5-6. Do Paul and Isaiah agree? If so, what is God doing in Eden?
Read Luke 15:3-7. What does Jesus teach us about His attitude towards sinners?
Read Romans 5:6-8. Considering all of these verses, what do we learn is God's reaction to sin? (Eden gives us a good view of our God. He loves us, He comes after us, He confronts us with our sins. But, if we finally reject God, He will turn away.)
Put yourself in God's place in our point in time. You created the world, but many people doubt your word about that. Your creation - humans - doubted you and believed Satan. As a result, you sent your Son to die for their sins. Humans killed your Son. What would be your attitude, as God, towards humans? (Read Hebrews 10:29-31. I certainly do not want to be lost. But if I reject everything which God has done for me, His judgment is fair - more than fair.)
Friend, consider what God has done for you. Will you walk away from Him or give your heart to Him right now?
Next week: Atonement and the Divine Initiative.
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Atonement and the Divine Initiative
(Romans 3, 5 & 8, Ephesians 1)
Atonement and the Cross of Christ: Lesson 4
Copr. 2008, Bruce N. Cameron, J.D. All scripture references are to the New International Version (NIV), copr. 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society, unless otherwise noted. Quotations from the NIV are used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers. Suggested answers are found within parentheses. The lesson assumes the teacher uses a blackboard or some other visual aid. This lesson can be found at: <url:http://www.GoBible.Org/study/526.php>
Introduction: The last two weeks we studied how sin entered the universe and our world. This week we turn our attention to the first chapter of our escape from sin and eternal death. Why would God decide to redeem us? What began our way out of sin? We learned something in the last two weeks about how to avoid sin based on how sin entered the universe and the world. What can we learn about righteousness based on how God gave us a way out of sin? Let's dive into our study of the Bible and learn more about the thoughts of God!
Our Present Position
Read Romans 3:10-12. What is our condition? Are we able to do better than Adam and Eve and stay out of trouble? (No! No one is righteous. All sin.)
Read Romans 3:19-20. If you asked most people, they would think that they lived a pretty good life. On what basis would they make that claim? (Most people base their claim on some sort of standard. They are "good people" because they have not been arrested, or they treat others decently.)
Is that what you think about your life?
What does this text say about thinking we are good based on the standard of the Ten Commandments?
There are only Ten Commandments, how difficult can it be to keep them?
When we read Romans 3:20, what do we learn is God's purpose in having the Ten Commandments? (We are told that no one will be saved by keeping the Ten Commandments, no one is "good enough" through their own actions. At least one purpose of the Ten Commandments is to show the true (sinful) nature of our hearts. When we really understand what it means to keep the law (see Matthew 5:21-22 and Matthew 5:27-28), we will simply learn how unrighteous we are.)
Hope of Glory
If we cannot come up to God's standard by our efforts to keep His law, what hope is there for us?
Read Romans 5:1-2. What is "the hope of the glory of God?" (Hint: it gives us joy!)
Does it have something to do with faith and grace? (The glory of God must mean to be in God's presence. Grace and faith are keys to this access.)
What role does Jesus play in this hope of the glory of God? (Romans 5:1 tells us "through our Lord Jesus Christ" we are able to "stand" in grace. Having grace from God gives us hope that we will be with Him in glory. This is a promise of heaven. We take hold of this promise by faith in Jesus.)
What does this hope in Jesus give us? (It gives us (v.1) "peace with God" and (v.2) a cause for rejoicing.)
Read Romans 5:3-4. Notice this list of bad things. Do bad things end up in hope? Why does this string of things end up in hope?
Why even talk about these bad things when the subject is rejoicing in God's presence? (The reality of life is that we face difficult problems from time to time.)
Do you find it to be true in your life - that suffering causes you to hope? (It seems to say that the good thing about bad things is that they sharpen our hope if we remain faithful. Realizing how we fall short of God's standards brings us to the point of realizing that we must trust the grace and peace offered to us through Jesus.)
The Rescue Plan
Read Romans 5:6. Given out condition, when and why did God decide that Jesus should rescue us? (The Bible says "at just the right time. The "why" is that we were "powerless" - we desperately needed the help.)
Read Ephesians 1:4-6. When did God decide on this plan? Was it after He saw what a mess Satan and humans had made of things? (This tells us that God had this plan in mind before the world was created!)
Does this mean that God created us knowing that we would make a mess of things (we were powerless)and He would have to clean it up? (It is hard to reach any other conclusion.)
Read Romans 5:7-8. What motivated God to engage in this kind of extraordinary conduct for humans who had turned away from Him?(Love. God did something none of us would do. He did it because He has a love that is superior to anything we can imagine. God did not wait until we became good or righteous or worthy.)
Do you know someone who stays away from church because they are not "good enough?" What does this text say to them?
Read Romans 8:32. Romans 5:7-8 told us God's sacrifice for us is remarkable. What does Romans 8:32 add to that thought? (Not only is Jesus' sacrifice for us remarkable, but it shows that He loves us more than anything! This means God will not withhold any good thing from us. The "why" of the rescue plan is that God loves us. Amazing!)
Read Romans 8:33-34. What else does Jesus do for us? (Jesus is in heaven interceding for us. Just as in the time of ancient Israel, when the High Priest on the Day of Atonement interceded for the people, so Jesus now intercedes for us in the heavenly sanctuary.
So we have a full understanding of the cast of players: Who is it that brings charges against us? Who condemns us? (Revelation 12:10 tells us our accuser has been "hurled down." Two weeks ago we studied Revelation 12:9 and determined that the party hurled down was Satan. The one who brought us into sin has been defeated, but he still brings charges against us!)
What happens to your hope when people condemn you and bring charges against you?
Who wins in the controversy between Jesus and Satan? (The "hurled down" text tells us that Satan is on the canvas. Satan is on the ground and Jesus is the winner. The charges and accusations against us go the same way as the accuser.)
Look at Romans 8:34 again. Why does Jesus win for us? (This verse tells us our Intercessor has the ear of God. He is at the right hand of the Father. Jesus followed the loving heavenly plan and lived, died, was resurrected for us. He now has a special place by the Father where He puts in a good word for us. A good word to the Father who already loves us. I like this plan!)
Read Romans 8:35. It asks "Who shall separate us from the love of God?" What can cause us to lose out on God's plan and God's fulfillment of His part of the plan?
This text gives several possible causes for separating us from God's love. What do all of these causes have in common? (They are all bad. But, more than that, they all have an external source. They come from outside us.)
As you consider the various possible causes for separation, what does that suggest about the answer to the question in verse 35? (That nothing external can separate us from God's love. This suggests that we are the only one who can separate our self from God's love.)
Read Romans 8:37. Who gives us the victory over all of these external problems? (Jesus makes us "more than conquerors.")
Do you feel like a conqueror?
Conquerors sometimes find that with time they lose their ability to win over their opponents. Read Romans 8:38-39. What gives us hope and confidence that will not happen to us? (It tells us nothing in all creation will be powerful enough to separate us from God. Praise God!)
Friend, do you see why God intervened to save you? His love is beyond our imagination. Although day to day live may cause you to face trouble, if you decide to accept Jesus' sacrifice and His victory for you, there is nothing in all creation that can separate you from His love. Why not decide to accept Him right now?
Next week: Atonement Announced.
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Atonement Announced
(Genesis 3 & 22, Exodus 32)
Atonement and the Cross of Christ: Lesson 5
Copr. 2008, Bruce N. Cameron, J.D. All scripture references are to the New International Version (NIV), copr. 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society, unless otherwise noted. Quotations from the NIV are used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers. Suggested answers are found within parentheses. The lesson assumes the teacher uses a blackboard or some other visual aid. This lesson can be found at: <url:http://www.GoBible.Org/study/527.php>
Introduction: If you were God, what would you do when humans rejected you? Two weeks ago we studied how it was that Adam and Eve sinned and plunged us all into a terrible situation. Last week we looked at what God planned to do to throw a life-line to humans. This week we progress to God's announcement to humans of His great plan for disaster relief. How difficult a decision was this for God? Why would God announce in advance what He had in mind? Why not leave His options open? What does this show us (again) about the character of God? Let's dive into our study and learn more!
The Promise
We pick up the story just after Adam and Eve sinned. Let's read Genesis 3:8. Why did Adam and Eve hide? (It shows a guilty conscience. They now understood evil.)
Read Genesis 3:9-10. Is this an honest answer? (No. First, Genesis 3:7 tells us that they were not actually naked. Second, they hid because of their guilt.)
Read Genesis 3:11-12. What do you think about this confession? What would you think if you were God? (Adam blames both God and Eve for his sin!)
Read Genesis 3:13. What do you think about Eve's confession? (It is better than Adam's. She is also blaming something else (the serpent) and thus may be indirectly blaming God. But, she says she was deceived and admits the deed.)
Step back a minute and put yourself in God's place. Eve had previously decided that Satan was right - that God had lied to her and that God was not trustworthy. With that background, how should God react to the conversation we just studied? (If I were God I would be livid. My creation believed Me to be a liar. When I confront them, they continue to lie (at least Adam) and even blame Me for their sin!)
Would you feel like dying a painful death for them? Giving up your Son for them? Or, would a quick zap - so that they evaporated - seem to be the right thing to do? You had, after all, warned them.
Read Genesis 3:14-15. What promise does God make about the "offspring" of the woman? (This is a promise of the incarnation: Jesus coming from heaven to be born of a woman (Mary). Jesus would defeat Satan ("crush your head")and Satan would inflict pain on Jesus ("strike His heel").)
Feeling God's Pain
Read Genesis 22:1-2. Put yourself in Abraham's place. God just told you to kill and then burn your son. What reasons would you have to disobey this command from God?
Notice how God describes Isaac in these verses. Is this supposed to increase the odds that Abraham will obey? (God emphasizes that this is (now) Abraham's "only son" whom he "loves." Talk about making things worse!)
Read Leviticus 20:1-2 and Jeremiah 32:35. What is God's view of sacrificing children?
Why would God instruct Abraham to do just the opposite of His character? Something He said would "never enter [His] mind?"
Read Genesis 21:12. What had God said would be the future of Isaac?
What would this text trigger in your mind if you were Abraham? (That God had sent off my first-born son (Ishmael) when he was a teen. I didn't want that. I didn't expect that. It broke my heart. And, God sending Ishmael away seemed contrary to the promise God made to me in Genesis 17:20. Is God now breaking His promise to me again? Depriving me of my only remaining son when he is very young?)
Abraham is 120 years old, he is rich and he is honored. His son is about to take charge of his fortune. Everything was going as planned. Could God really mean this now?
Read Genesis 22:3-5. Do you think Abraham told Sarah before he left?
What would he say when he returned and had killed her only son?
Why does Abraham do this right away?
How would you like a three day journey just to think about sacrificing your only, beloved, son?
Why does Abraham tell his servants that "we will come back to you?"
Read Genesis 22:6-8. Do you think that Abraham believes what he told Isaac? Or, is Abraham lying to give comfort to his son? (Read Genesis 18:14. I feel confident that a terrible struggle took place in Abraham's mind. Bottom line, I think Abraham just decided that God would work things out - nothing was too hard for God.)
Read Genesis 22:9-10. At some point Abraham has to tell Isaac about God's instructions. What can we believe was Isaac's reaction? (He obviously agreed to this. He could have overpowered dad. He believed that his father knew the voice of God and he shared the faith of his father.)
Had Abraham committed to do the terrible deed that violated all logic except the logic of obedience to God? (Yes. Unbelievable!)
Was there any shred of logic to this? Was it pure trust in God? (Read Hebrews 11:17-19. Abraham had worked out the logic of reconciling the promises of God with this current command.)
Read Genesis 22:11-12. Abraham passes the most intense test of faith. Where Adam and Eve failed, Abraham proved to be faithful (with a much more terrible test). Why would God give Abraham such a terrible test? Why would God have this test recorded in the Bible? This is a test that could give some people the wrong idea. (I think God wanted humans to understand what (at that point in time) God had promised to do for us. He wanted us to understand the extraordinary nature of His promise of giving up His Son for us.)
Read Genesis 22:13-14. Remember when I asked you whether Abraham was telling the truth to Isaac in Genesis 22:8 when he said "the Lord will provide?" Did God provide? (Yes!)
How does the ram compare to Jesus? (Just as this ram took the place of Isaac, and spared his life, so Jesus takes the place of our children, our parents and ourselves, and spares us from eternal death.)
We don't have any record about the details of how God the Father and God the Son (Jesus) agreed upon the plan that Jesus would die for our sins. How many of those details do you think the Abraham and Isaac story supply?
What does Abraham's story teach us about our heavenly Father who had no one(but Himself or Jesus)to stay His hand when His Son, Jesus, died in our place?
Read Isaiah 52:14-15. This is a prophecy that points to the torture Jesus suffered. Imagine that Abraham had to watch Isaac being tortured before he was killed? Do you think Abraham would have passed that test?
Walking in God's Path
What does this story of Abraham and Isaac teach us about the importance of works in our salvation by faith? What if Abraham had refused to do this? Failed this test? (Compare James 2:20-22 with Romans 4:1-3.)
Read Exodus 32:31-32. This is a conversation between God and Moses after the people had created a golden calf and started worshiping it. What kind of attitude does Moses reflect? (He reflects the attitude of Jesus. He offers his life for theirs.)
Read Exodus 32:33-34. Is it possible for one human to atone for another? (No. Not even a great man like Moses. Jesus is fully God and fully human. Only He could die for our sins.)
How do we walk in the path of Jesus and Moses if we cannot atone for the sins of others? (We can show them self-sacrificing love. Our faith in what God has done for us should be reflected in our self-sacrificing love for others.)
Friend, our salvation was planned before the Creation of the world. God announced His plan immediately after humans sinned. God plainly set out for us the emotions of His plan in the account of Abraham and Isaac. Can you have any doubt that Jesus is the Messiah? Can you have any doubt about God's amazing love for you? How He loves you! Why not pledge your life to Him today?
Next week: Atonement in Symbols: Part 1.
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Atonement in Symbols: Part 1
(Leviticus 4-6 & 17, Romans 3, 5 & 6)
Atonement and the Cross of Christ: Lesson 6
Copr. 2008, Bruce N. Cameron, J.D. All scripture references are to the New International Version (NIV), copr. 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society, unless otherwise noted. Quotations from the NIV are used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers. Suggested answers are found within parentheses. The lesson assumes the teacher uses a blackboard or some other visual aid. This lesson can be found at: <url:http://www.GoBible.Org/study/528.php>
Introduction: This past Sunday evening I was sitting on a bench overlooking the lake by my home. The quiet, beautiful evening turned my thoughts towards God and my place in His world. I thought about why it was I believed God existed, that Christianity was true and Jesus was the Messiah. Our lesson this week speaks to those issues. My reason for believing God exists is the order I see in the Creation. Owning cars and houses has taught me that things move from order to disorder, not the other way around. That God foretold the Messiah through the symbols of the Atonement shows His order. The three major world religions believe in the account of the sanctuary service, yet only Christianity can match it up to Jesus the Messiah. Only Christianity relies on these fulfilled symbols for the forgiveness of sins. Christianity is the logical, consistent, reasonable religion. Let's jump right into our study of the Bible to better understand this!
The Path From Sin
Read Leviticus 6:1-4. Why are all of these sins being "unfaithful to the Lord?" Isn't it the fellow next door who is short his property? (God is the One who said these things are wrong in the Ten Commandments. It is God's standard that is being broken.)
Read Leviticus 6:5. What is the first step to recovery from sin under the Old Testament system? (Although God's law is being broken, God wants us to restore what we have taken. We need to try to fix things. The first step is to admit our error and try to make things right.)
Read Leviticus 5:6. Why does this text say "and as a penalty?" I thought the 20% premium was already paying a penalty! What else is required for sin here? (The 20% penalty was paid to the person cheated. This penalty is paid to God.)
If the animal is "of the proper value," what does it matter if it is "without defect?" Why not kill the defective animals if they have sufficient value to satisfy the penalty?
Why would you kill the animal anyway? You pay penalties with something that works, not something that is dead! "I'm sorry I stole your rims (wheels), here is a dead battery to make it right." (These two requirements make no sense without the Christian understanding of the Messiah.)
Read Leviticus 5:7. Up to this last point in the text we have what I would call a typical system of justice. The state tries to take the profit out of criminal activity, restores the victim of crime and requires a penalty be paid to the state for keeping order. What does this text add that is unusual? (It has to do with this last point about the dead animal. We move into something more than criminal activity. We now specifically address the matter of sin.)
Who does this text say makes atonement? ("The priest shall make atonement for him" for his sin.)
Let's explore this atonement idea a bit more. Read Leviticus 4:27-31. Who kills the animal? (The person who sins puts his hand on the head of the animal and then kills it.)
Notice that this involves unintentional sin. Would this process make you more careful about sinning in the future? (I would hate to kill the animal. For me it would deter sin.)
If you were to walk up to a wise person and say "I've harmed someone, what do you think I should do?" The answer would likely be "Try to make it right and don't do it again." We've looked at the restitution idea. Killing the animal would help to keep me from doing wrong again. Is that all there is to it? Is that what atonement means - discouraging future wrongdoing? What important element is missing?
Read Leviticus 17:11-12. In this text and the last, we have all of this discussion about handling the blood. How does blood fit into this picture?
Why is blood something which can atone? (Read Genesis 2:15-16. The result of sin is death. God says in Leviticus that life is in the blood. The death of the animal substituted in some way for the death-causing sin of the human. The animal's blood atoned for the person's sin. This is something quite different than restitution or deterrence. We started out saying that sin is being unfaithful to God. It is a violation of His standard. His standard says sin results in death.)
Atonement As Prophecy
We considered before what a wise person would say to someone who had done something wrong. I think it is safe to say that a blood sacrifice would never enter the mind of the wise person. Are there any major world religions who believe in blood sacrifice for personal wrongs (short of murder)? Are there any who believe or teach an atonement?
Read Romans 3:23-26. How does the Bible suggest that the atonement component of the sanctuary system predicted Jesus? (The sanctuary system introduced the novel idea that the blood of the animal could somehow free the human from having to pay for his sin with his life. The person could avoid the ultimate result of sin by using a substitute.)
Notice that Romans 3:25 says this atonement idea demonstrates "justice." Is that how you see it? If I were the advocate for the animals, I would be calling this system "injustice."
Judaism no longer practices animal sacrifices because the temple has been destroyed and not rebuilt. Is that a reasonable excuse not to follow the clearly laid out procedure to eliminate sin? (Read Exodus 20:24-25. The sacrifice did not require a temple. It could be made upon an altar of dirt or stones.)
Does Islam, which accepts the Old Testament as God's revelation, have anything approaching atonement by someone other than the sinner?
Read 1 Peter 1:18-21. What does Peter say is the usual way to make wrongs right? (Pay a penalty: silver, gold or money of some sort.)
How are our wrongs made right? (By the blood of Jesus.)
Notice that Peter refers to the lamb being without blemish or defect. I raised this issue before saying that it made no sense in the abstract. How does it make sense now? (The reason why God required a perfect animal - without blemish - was to predict that Jesus, who lived a perfect life, would die to atone for our sins.)
Was God making the sanctuary system up as He went along? (No. This text says that God had this plan in mind before the world was created. He put in place the sanctuary service as a symbolic device to teach us about His plan for the salvation of humans.)
Why not just settle for animals dying? Why did Jesus have to die? How is this justice? If I were God I certainly would have used farm animals instead of my son! (This is still a difficult concept for me to grasp logically. My father's friend, Patrick Stevenson, helped me to better understand this. If I committed a crime worthy of death, I could not offer the court my dog or any other animal. I could not offer the court any member of my family. The court would require my life. We corporately fell into sin when Adam and Eve sinned. When we become a Christian we become "in Christ." Jesus is the "second Adam," and we corporately become part of Jesus who lived, died and was resurrected on our behalf. Thus we died when He died. Contemplate Romans 5:12-19 to better understand this.)
Practical Living
Does the fact that Jesus atoned for our sin give us freedom to sin? (Read Romans 6:1-2. When we died with Jesus, we died to sin. If you remain in Jesus, you want to steer clear of sin.)
If killing an animal would deter you from future sinning, what about killing Jesus?
Read Psalms 51:3-4. What element does this highlight? (God says that wrongdoing is sin against Him. Confession of sin is to God because He is the one ultimately wronged.)
Read James 5:13-16. Is James telling us that we need to confess our sins to fellow believers to be forgiven? How is this consistent with the idea that we sin against God when we break His rules? (James seems to be writing about how fellow believers can help each other to steer clear of sin. By letting a trusted believer know you have a problem in a certain area, that person may be able to encourage and counsel you. This might help you to avoid sin. Some call this an "accountability partner.")
Friend, Christianity is the thinking person's religion. If you accept the Old Testament as God's revelation to humans, the entire system for shedding sin pointed to a coming Messiah who would die to atone for our sins. Christianity alone accepts this logical link. Will you confidently take hold of what Jesus has done for you? Will you today live like you believed Jesus died for your sins?
Next week: Atonement in Symbols: Part 2.
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Atonement in Symbols: Part 2
(Leviticus 16, Hebrews 9)
Atonement and the Cross of Christ: Lesson 7
Copr. 2008, Bruce N. Cameron, J.D. All scripture references are to the New International Version (NIV), copr. 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society, unless otherwise noted. Quotations from the NIV are used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers. Suggested answers are found within parentheses. The lesson assumes the teacher uses a blackboard or some other visual aid. This lesson can be found at: <url:http://www.GoBible.Org/study/529.php>
Introduction: Last week we learned that only Christianity, of the three major world religions which accept the Old Testament as the inspired word of God, fulfills and follows the Old Testament pattern for dealing with sin. That is history. What about today and the future? What does the Old Testament sacrificial system teach us about Jesus' current work, if any, on the problem of sin? What is Jesus doing for our sin? Or, is His work complete and He is currently enjoying retirement? Let's plunge into our study of the Bible and find out!
Day of Atonement
Read Leviticus 16:1-2. Should we be concerned about approaching God in prayer? Are these texts talking about prayer? (No, these verses are talking about something quite different. The sanctuary in which the sacrifices took place had two compartments. These were the "Holy" and the "Most Holy." A curtain separated the two. God said that He appeared in the Most Holy Place. A human would die in His presence.)
Aaron is told not to enter the Most Holy compartment whenever he wants. When can he enter it? (Read Leviticus 23:26-28 and Exodus 30:10. There is a "Day of Atonement," once a year, during which Aaron can (and should) enter the Most Holy compartment.)
Last week we discussed how the blood of the sacrificed animal made atonement for the sins of the person who sacrificed it. How does this "Day of Atonement" fit into this picture?
Read Leviticus 16:11-14. When the text says that Aaron was going "behind the curtain" what does this mean? (This chapter in Leviticus gives the details of the Day of Atonement. Going behind the curtain is a reference to entering the Most Holy compartment of the sanctuary on the Day of Atonement. It was the only time the High Priest could enter.)
Why was this animal sacrificed on the Day of Atonement? (It was to atone for the sins of the High Priest and his family.)
Read Leviticus 16:15-17. What else is being atoned for on the Day of Atonement? (These three verses capture the essence of what is going on. They capture the "arrow of sin." When a person sacrifices an animal for his sin, the blood of the animal - which represents its life - removes (cleans) the sin from the person. The priest then sprinkles the blood of the animal in the sanctuary, so the sin then moves to the sanctuary. On the Day of Atonement, the sins of the people (and the High Priest) are transferred to the Most Holy compartment. In the end the whole community and the sanctuary are cleaned from sin.)
A practical way of thinking about this is to imagine you walked into the house with dried mud on you. You notice it, brush it off, and it falls on the carpet. You vacuum up the carpet and the mud is in the bag. You empty the bag into the trash can. At the end of the week you haul the trash can outside your house. Sin is on a journey of removal.
Read Leviticus 16:20-22. What is the final destination of all of this sin for the year? Where does the "arrow of sin" end up? (It ultimately gets transferred to a goat which is sent out into the wilderness. The sin is now gone from the community.)
How does this goat logically fit into the idea of atonement? This goat was never killed. Its blood never covered any sin. (Read Matthew 4:1 and Deuteronomy 32:9-10. The desert or wilderness are representative of the place where Satan lives. A place without God. The mental picture I see is that sin gets "returned to sender." Sin returns to Satan - where it started. The goat is like your trash can - headed towards the dump of sin.)
There is great detail and symbolism in what happened on the Day of Atonement. We have merely scratched the surface of all of the symbolism. Instead of discussing all of these symbolic details in more depth, let's move forward to try to understand what they teach us is happening today with Jesus.
The Prophecy of the Day of Atonement
Read over Hebrews 9:1-7 as a summary of what we just learned from Leviticus. Read Hebrews 9:8. What does Hebrews say is the purpose of the Old Testament sanctuary system? (It says that God was trying to teach us something about sin.)
What was He teaching? (We cannot get to the ultimate Day of Atonement as long as the sanctuary on earth was still standing.)
How can Hebrews say "the way into the Most Holy Place had not been disclosed?" It was just the other side of the curtain! (Remember that Aaron was warned not to go into the Most Holy Place anytime he wanted because God was there and Aaron would die? I think this is telling us the way for sinful humans to approach God had not yet been revealed. Something about the process of cleansing us from sin was still not properly understood.)
What does the destruction of the sanctuary on earth have to do with this mystery? (We learned last week that the Old Testament sacrificial system was symbolic of the sacrifice of Jesus the Messiah. Apparently what Jesus came to do could not be completed while the sanctuary on earth was still standing.)
Does this mean the ultimate fulfillment of the Day of Atonement did not take place until after the Jewish sanctuary was destroyed (by Rome in 70 A.D.)? (It certainly suggests this - or at least suggests humans did not understand what was going on until after that time.)
Read Hebrews 9:9-10. How can this be? We just learned about how the atonement took care of the sins, and how the sins ultimately headed out to the desert. Is Hebrews saying this did nothing? (Hebrews 9:9 tells us it was "an illustration for the present time." The whole sanctuary system was to teach us a spiritual lesson.)
What is the "new order?"
Read Hebrews 9:11. What tabernacle is not "man made" - not "part of this creation?" (Read Hebrews 8:5 and Exodus 25:8-9. God showed Moses the pattern for the sanctuary on earth. It was patterned after a sanctuary in heaven. The idea of a "new order" and "illustration" must refer to something happening in the sanctuary in heaven.)
Wait a minute! I thought the lamb symbolized Jesus. How can this be right that Jesus is the High Priest? (Read Hebrews 9:12. In this new order, Jesus is both the High Priest and the Lamb.)
Read Hebrews 9:13. What is Jesus doing for us in the heavenly sanctuary? (He is offering His blood to atone for our sins! This is the "new order.")
Read Hebrews 9:23-26. Does the sanctuary in heaven need to be cleaned of sin? (Seems it does.)
When is this heavenly Day of Atonement? When is the heavenly sanctuary cleansed? (It is only once. Hebrews 9:8 suggests that it was after 70 A.D. and Hebrews 9:26 says it is "at the end of the ages." That is a pretty big time frame, but it seems obvious the timing is not the big issue, what Jesus is doing and has done to permanently take away our sins is the big issue!)
Read Hebrews 9:27-28. Notice the parallel in this chapter. Humans die and then they face God's judgment. Jesus died to atone for our sins and then He comes to bring salvation. When will Jesus do this? (This is the Second Coming! Do you see the time-line here? Jesus came to earth, lived a perfect life, died in our place, was resurrected and returned to heaven. In heaven He entered the sanctuary where He atones for our sins with His blood. On the heavenly Day of Atonement He removes sin. Thereafter, Jesus returns to take us home with Him. Purified of our sins we can face God and live!)
How should we react to that good news? (Read Hebrews 10:19-22. First, we should have confidence about our salvation. Sinful humans died if they entered the Most Holy Place of the sanctuary. That was entering into the presence of God. We can confidently enter into the presence of God through Jesus who takes away our sins.)
Read Hebrews 10:23-25. What is the second reaction that we should have to this good news? (We need to live like we believe it. We need to believe this message. We see that the sanctuary on earth revealed to us God's way of removing sin. It revealed to us how Jesus is the Messiah. It revealed to us what Jesus is doing for us now. We need to hold onto this message. We need to spur ourselves and others to be loving and to do good deeds. We need to worship together and encourage each other in this hope.)
Friend, are you convinced that Jesus is standing up for you in the sanctuary in heaven? Are you convinced that Jesus has atoned for your sins? If so, will you commit to living like it?
Next week: Born of a Woman - Atonement and the Incarnation.
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Born of a Woman - Atonement and the Incarnation
(Luke 1, Matthew 3, Matthew 4)
Atonement and the Cross of Christ: Lesson 8
Copr. 2008, Bruce N. Cameron, J.D. All scripture references are to the New International Version (NIV), copr. 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society, unless otherwise noted. Quotations from the NIV are used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers. Suggested answers are found within parentheses. The lesson assumes the teacher uses a blackboard or some other visual aid. This lesson can be found at: <url:http://www.GoBible.Org/study/530.php>
Introduction: We learned the last two weeks that Christianity is the "thinking person's religion." What we did not discuss was how hard we have to think! In one sense it is easy and logical to line up the Old Testament system for removing sin with the life, death, resurrection and heavenly ministry of Jesus. They just logically fit. On the other hand, it is not so easy to understand how the Creator God could demean Himself to become a human. Even the mechanics of the "God born of a woman" to create a God/human are very difficult to grasp. Let's give it a try by plunging into our Bible study!
Virgin Mary
Read Luke 1:26-28. Do you remember when you were engaged to be married? How did you feel? (It was exciting. Not only is romantic life a great feeling, but the opportunities of life lay before you.)
How would you like this greeting from God given to you by Gabriel?
Read Luke 1:29. How did Mary react to this greeting? Why should she react as she did? (This was an astonishing greeting for a young woman. Why should she deserve this?)
Do you think Mary might have thought this was undue flattery and the angel wanted something from her?
Was it flattery? (No! As we will see God the Father is trusting Jesus to a human - and Mary is the one He picked. This is no flattery.)
Read Luke 1:30-34. Of all of the amazing things that Gabriel says, which one catches the attention of Mary? (She never got beyond his first point -the one about her having a son even though she is not yet married.)
Read Luke 1:35-37. Would this answer your question if you were Mary?
Do you understand the angel's explanation?
What is the most important point made by Gabriel which helps you to understand this? (Gabriel knows he is saying something that is completely inconsistent with human experience. He points out another miracle (the pregnancy of Elizabeth) and says "Nothing is impossible with God." You think this is unusual for God? Imagine speaking the world into existence.)
Let's go back and look more closely at the part of the announcement that did not elicit questions from Mary because she was still working on the first point. Re-read Luke 1:31-33. What is being said about Jesus? Does it clearly say that Jesus is God?
Why does the text say "called the Son of God" instead of "is the Son of God?" (Jesus' status will not simply be declared by Gabriel, it will by acknowledged by humans.)
Read Romans 1:1-4. Why should humans call Jesus "the Son of God?" (Not simply because of Old Testament prophecies, not simply because of His usual conception, His resurrection from the dead shows His power. There are lots of reasons to call Jesus the "Son of God.")
Read Luke 1:38. How does Mary react to this astonishing and unprecedented news? Bring yourself back to the memory place where we started - how did you look at life when you were engaged? How would this change your hopes, dreams and plans? (Mary submits to God's will for her life. Any wonder why God said such great things about her?)
The God Man
Based on this introduction, what would you call Jesus? Half man, half God? (Read Colossians 2:9. The Bible tells us that all of God lived in a human form. Jesus was fully God.)
Compare Hebrews 1:1-3 with Hebrews 5:7-10. Can you reconcile these two descriptions of Jesus? One says Jesus is the "radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of His being" and the other says "He learned obedience from what He suffered [and became] perfect [and the source of our salvation]." (One sounds completely like God and the other sounds completely like humans. I think that is the right answer - Jesus was fully God and fully human.)
Read 1 Corinthians 15:45-47. Is there a logical link between Adam and Jesus? (Read 1 Corinthians 15:48-49. The Christian life demonstrates the link. We start out as sinful humans (Adam)and we are resurrected to eternal life though Jesus.)
The Baptized Man
Read Matthew 3:13-14. Who has the better argument here, Jesus or John? (The obvious answer is "John." Why does sinless Jesus need to be born again? How could you top His first birth?)
Read Matthew 3:15. Wait a minute. What argument is Jesus making? It convinced John, does it convince you? (Do you recall the "incorporation" concept we considered two weeks ago? When Jesus died, we died in Him. Thus, we died for our sins through Jesus. Jesus is talking about the "front end" of this same idea. When Jesus was baptized, we were baptized corporately. In that way this "fulfilled all righteousness.")
Isn't there a flaw in this incorporation argument? Following Jesus' instructions (Matthew 28:19-20), His disciples were later baptizing everyone they could get their hands on. Why would new converts need to be baptized if they were "corporately" baptized with Jesus? (Instead of creating a logical hole, I think this fills one. If everyone died for His sins through Jesus, then all would be saved. That is not consistent with the rest of the Bible. Jesus' command to baptize shows that the corporate model has an "opt-in" feature. You died with Jesus when you affirmatively accept Him as your Lord. You are corporately baptized with Jesus when you accept baptism.)
Read Matthew 3:16-17. Who is involved in Jesus' baptism (and, corporately, ours)? (God the Father and God the Holy Spirit.)
Do you now understand why Jesus gave the instructions He did for our baptism? (See Matthew 28:19. His baptism and ours match perfectly.)
The Tested Man
Read Matthew 4:1-2. This immediately follows Jesus' baptism. Why would the Holy Spirit lead Jesus into temptation?
When you think of "spiritual highs" in your life, where would you place the day of your baptism?
What is the point of the fasting? (Read Esther 4:15-16. Esther agreed to be the champion of her people to try to defeat Haman, who wanted to kill the Jews. To prepare for this pivotal meeting with the King, she fasts.)
If you were a battle commander, would you choose the place of battle or would you let your opponent choose it? (I think these questions lead us to the explanation for the odd statement that the Spirit led Jesus into temptation. Braced by baptism and fasting, Jesus is led by the Spirit into combat with Satan. The Spirit picks the time, place and circumstances for the battle.)
Is there a lesson in this for us? (We need to prepare against sin by guarding our thoughts. We need to prepare against sin by knowing God's word. We need to be led by the Holy Spirit. If we know a battle is coming, we should prepare by fasting.)
Read Matthew 4:3-4. Assume you are Satan and you want to cause Jesus to sin. How much time and thought would you put into crafting your opening temptation?
Do you think that Satan is caught unprepared for this battle? (Yes. They are now on Jesus' ground. Satan uses what is there - hunger - to test Jesus on pride and trust in God. It is hard to believe turning stones into bread would be Satan's best approach.)
How does this compare to the temptation of Eve and Adam? (It was pride (be like God knowing good and evil) and it was trusting God (God has kept something good from you).)
What does this teach us about our weaknesses? (It tells us to beware of our pride and failing to trust God. These are prime weapons used by Satan. If Satan would use them against Jesus, he would certainly use them against you.)
Read Matthew 4:5-6. Jesus' answer to the bread temptation is to refer to the Bible. Satan's next temptation relies on the Bible. Has this temptation any parallel to temptations in your life? Has it any parallel to the temptation of Adam and Eve? (This is the opposite problem - presumption. We go from not trusting God to presuming that God will intervene to save us no matter what we do. Adam and Eve presumed God would not do what He said.)
Read Matthew 4:8-10. How serious a temptation do you think this was for Jesus?
What parallel is there to temptations in your life? (Satan is offering Jesus a short-cut. He can avoid all sorts of trouble and pain if He will just take Satan's route. Our lessons are about righteousness through Jesus, but we must never forget Jesus' instruction in Matthew 5:48 that we must strive for holiness - to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect. The "short-cut" to holiness is Satan's third temptation to Jesus.)
Friend, you are incorporated into Jesus' baptism and His death and resurrection when you opt into faith in Him. Will you determine today to opt into Jesus' life - to accept the power of the Holy Spirit to live a life pleasing to God?
Next week: Metaphors of Salvation.
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Metaphors of Salvation
(1 Peter 1, 2 Corinthians 5, Romans 3)
Atonement and the Cross of Christ: Lesson 9
Copr. 2008, Bruce N. Cameron, J.D. All scripture references are to the New International Version (NIV), copr. 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society, unless otherwise noted. Quotations from the NIV are used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers. Suggested answers are found within parentheses. The lesson assumes the teacher uses a blackboard or some other visual aid. This lesson can be found at: <url:http://www.GoBible.Org/study/531.php>
Introduction: Have you ever gone to a physician and found you don't understand a lot of what is being told to you? I had one specialist who would use all sorts of medical terms that I did not understand. I would stop him and make him explain his terms. In my law practice I work with employees whose religious beliefs conflict with some work requirement. The law requires the religious objector to let the employer (or union) know about the conflict. When these (generally Christian) employees write about their religious beliefs, I try to be alert to terms that are not understood by the general public. When I see these, I suggest to the employee that they substitute a term that the public understands. The Bible uses all sorts of terms to describe salvation. We learned the reason for many of them when we studied the Old Testament sanctuary service. This week we look more deeply into this subject. Let's dive right into our study of how the Bible describes our salvation!
Redeemed FLKs?
Read 1 Peter 1:1-2. To whom does Peter address his letter? (To God's elect - that means us!)
Peter calls us "strangers in the world." Have you ever had someone say you looked strange? My son introduced me to the term "FLK." It means "funny looking kid." Physicians use this term because a child that does not look quite right often has unseen medical problems. The child's looks are a clue to these problems. Are we FLK's in the eyes of the world? (I hope so. We might not look strange, but Peter suggests that someone elected by God does not count this sinful world as home. A changed heart makes us strangers to this world.)
Wait a minute, aren't Christians supposed to look different?(You don't have to be as old as me to be able to see that lifestyles are generally reflected in the way a person looks. However, I don't think Peter is talking about looks.)
How are we elected to be strangers? (1 Peter 1:2 gives us two pictures: our sins are removed by Jesus' blood being sprinkled on us. (Recall our discussion of the sanctuary on earth.) The Holy Spirit helps us to move towards obedience to Jesus. This gets us ready for the next world.)
Read 1 Peter 1:3-5. Notice all the symbols, all the metaphors. The last text referred to "sprinkling by His blood." Among other things, this text refers to "new birth," and "inheritance." What kind of family are we being born into? What kind of wealth does this new family possess? (Christians look forward to a new world. Peter says our new birth now into the family of God gives us "living hope" for an inheritance in the next world. That inheritance, unlike today's stock market, cannot go bad. He is a bit vague on the details, however.)
Can we make this transition now? (Yes. We can join the family of God now when we are born again (through baptism). Last week we learned that we opt into Jesus' baptism when we are baptized. See Romans 6:4.)
Read 1 Peter 1:6-7. We are strangers and we suffer grief in all kinds of trials. Why is Peter upbeat about this? (Imagine being hired by a new company into a very important position. All of these new challenges can be difficult, but they help you to become better at your work. You don't mind these challenges because you are delighted to have your new position. Our joy because of our new birth and new inheritance help us to shrug off the immediate challenges. The challenges strengthen our faith.)
Read 1 Peter 1:17. Peter tells us to live our life as strangers here. What do you think this means, as a practical matter? How would a stranger live as compared to a regular citizen?
Read 1 Peter 1:18-19. We are redeemed strangers. From what have we been redeemed? ("From the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers."
What is an empty way of life? What does that mean? (A life without meaning. A life with no future.)
The idea of being redeemed means to be "bought back." Here we are not being redeemed with money, we are redeemed by the blood of Jesus. What kind of a future and a meaningful life has Jesus purchased for us? (Think of two kinds of artwork. My father did some wood carving that I imagine will be in the family for generations. On the local beach, artists make some beautiful creations out of sand. They last for a week. Jesus allows us to now begin building for eternity.)
Read 2 Corinthians 5:16. Has our eyesight also changed with this new birth? (Yes.)
What, exactly, do you think it means to "regard [someone] from a worldly point of view?" (A worldly point of view would regard a person based on wealth, looks, and position. We might be a "FLK" in the world's view - but when we are converted we see these things in a new light. We understand the eternal view of things.)
Why would we think less of wealth, looks and position just because we become Christians? (This goes back to Peter's point in 1 Peter 1:4 - our new heavenly wealth is completely secure. Wealth, looks, position on earth all fade. We all become old and die. Our new eyesight helps us to pick out what is eternally important.)
Reconciliation
Read 2 Corinthians 5:17-18. When I say that I am "reconciled" to someone, that means I previously had a dispute with them. I do not recall picking any fights with God! Why is it I need to be reconciled? (Read 2 Corinthians 5:19. When we sin we are in conflict with God! Jesus gives us a way not to have our sins counted against us. The source of the dispute between God and humans is resolved by Jesus.)
Read 2 Corinthians 5:20-21. Paul tells us that he is speaking for God. He is making a sales pitch on God's behalf. What is he selling? (Reconciliation. We have two opposing worlds - the earth here and the earth to come. Paul, as an ambassador for God and the earth to come, appeals to us to accept this offer to have our sin placed on Jesus and His righteousness placed on us.)
Let's revisit 2 Corinthians 5:16. How does Paul see us? (Recall that the disciples originally thought that Jesus would set up a kingdom on earth. They now see Jesus' kingdom as being in heaven and the new earth. When the Kingdom of Heaven becomes real to you, you see others not as rich, powerful or beautiful, but rather as citizens or non-citizens of the earth to come.)
Justification
Read Romans 3:19-20. As we look at the citizens and non-citizens around us, will those who are "good people" and good neighbors be considered citizens of the earth to come? (No. No one is righteous by being a good person. Even those who read God's word and understand His standard for living are not righteous - they merely understand more clearly how sinful they are!)
Read Romans 3:21-24. How do we become righteous? How do we become citizens of the eternal world to come? (Faith in the redemption made for us by Jesus.)
Does any other factor in our life make a difference? (No! All who believe are entitled to accept this redemption. "There is no difference.")
Read Romans 3:25-26. When we accept Jesus' sacrifice on our behalf, when we opt into His death as sufficient punishment for our sins, how do we end up? (Justified! We are eligible to be citizens of the eternal world to come.)
Friend, do you understand this? Because of what Jesus did for you - redemption, reconciliation, justification - you are eligible to become a citizen of the Kingdom of God. You can join the family that will live eternally on the earth to come. Will you accept what Jesus has done for you and today become a citizen?
Next week: Atonement At The Cross.
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Atonement at the Cross
(Matthew 26 & 27)
Atonement and the Cross of Christ: Lesson 10
Copr. 2008, Bruce N. Cameron, J.D. All scripture references are to the New International Version (NIV), copr. 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society, unless otherwise noted. Quotations from the NIV are used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers. Suggested answers are found within parentheses. The lesson assumes the teacher uses a blackboard or some other visual aid. This lesson can be found at: <url:http://www.GoBible.Org/study/532.php>
Introduction: Have you considered engaging in a serious sin? If so, you weighed the consequences: would you get caught? How serious would the punishment be? Even if you were not caught, how would it affect you? I recall one friend saying (about a serious sin) "If I do it God will forgive me." When it comes to sin, our primary concern is how it will affect us. This week we look at how our sins affected Jesus. God paid a terrible price for our sins. Let's plunge into our study of the Bible and take a close and personal look at what our sin did to our loving Savior!
Gethsemane
Read Matthew 26:1-2. Crucifixion was the worst kind of death imposed by the government. If you were to be crucified, would you want to know in advance? Why or why not? (I remember my mother saying "When dad gets home he will spank you." Contemplating my fate did not make things any easier.)
Read Matthew 26:36-38. Look carefully at the words spoken by Jesus. How would you describe His mental attitude in today's terms? (He is sad and upset - deeply disturbed - so much that He feels overwhelmed to the point where He could just die.)
Have you ever felt such a deep sadness - that you thought you might die?
Have you ever felt overwhelmed with terror about the future?
Do you think this was fear of physical pain or a fear of death? (I would have feared the physical pain and death, but I don't think that is what Jesus is saying. Remember that our sins are now being laid on Him(Galatians 3:13; 2 Corinthians 5:21). Imagine the burden of a sinless God being weighted with the sins of all humanity.)
Read Matthew 26:39. What did Jesus want? (He wanted to avoid what was ahead of Him. He hoped that God the Father had worked out "Plan B" that would allow Him to escape the increasing weight of sin and torture that lay ahead of Him.)
Could Jesus have avoided it? (Yes. Notice that Jesus says "this cup to be taken away." Jesus did not have to "drink" this cup. Jesus could have gone back to heaven. He could have taken a "time out." He could have said "I've seen these people up close and personal and, frankly, they are not worth saving.")
What did Jesus pray that we should always pray? (I want God's will to prevail.)
Does that sometimes mean terrible things will happen? (Yes.)
Read Matthew 26:40-41. Have you ever gone through terrible problems and it seemed your friends did not care? They were more concerned about their comfort than about your needs?
Read Matthew 26:42. Is Jesus still looking for a way out? What does this reveal about His human nature?(We see His human side, how He would like to avoid what is coming, but He accepts God's will.)
Jesus goes back to Peter, James and John, and they have again failed Jesus by falling asleep. An armed crowd comes into the garden to arrest Jesus. It is led by Judas. Why would Judas do this? (Only two reasons make sense: 1)Judas decided that Jesus is not the Christ, or 2)Judas thinks Jesus needs a little prod to declare His kingdom. Jesus is surrounded by friends who it seems don't care enough, who don't believe Him or who think they are smarter than Him. What a sad picture.)
Read Matthew 26:50-53. Why doesn't Jesus call for twelve legions of angels? (This shows that Jesus voluntarily accepted what was coming.)
Why did Jesus mention twelve legions, as opposed to one hundred legions? (Jesus had twelve disciples. One just pulled out a sword. Jesus points out that He could have had 6,000 angels (a legion) for every disciple. He had real fire-power at His disposal - instead of His weak followers.)
When the enemy comes close, Peter, the formerly sleeping disciple, pulls his sword (John 18:11) to fulfill his promise that he would die before he would disown Jesus (Matthew 26:33-35). Has Peter been faithful or not? Don't we make fun of people who say they will "pray for us," but don't give any practical help? (Read Ephesians 6:12. Jesus was in the middle of a horrendous spiritual battle over the fate of the world. Peter thought the fight was against humans, not demons. Peter failed Jesus because he was not fighting at the point of conflict - the spiritual war.)
How do we know when to pull out a sword and when to pray?
Read Matthew 26:54. Was it really God's will that His Son be tortured and crucified? Could Jesus have reasonably said, "My Father in heaven is a loving God, it would never be His will that I be tortured, much less killed!" (After our last three lessons where we looked at how the sanctuary service prophesied how Jesus would die for our sins, we can see the "big picture." When bad things happen to us we need to have confidence that God has the "big picture" in mind and we need to just trust Him.)
Humiliation
Read Matthew 26:55-56. Why would Jesus care how they arrested Him? (This is the beginning of the humiliation. He was a respected teacher, not a dangerous thief or hiding thug.)
What happened to the promise (Matthew 26:35) that all the disciples made that they would die before they would disown Jesus?
What is the result? (Jesus goes alone into the terrible battle.)
Read Matthew 26:63 and Matthew 27:37. What is the official charge against Jesus? (That He is the Messiah, the King of the Jews, the Son of God.)
Read Matthew 26:64-65. Put yourself in Jesus' place. The High Priest, a man of the highest social standing, publicly calls you a liar about being the Messiah. How would you react?
Read Matthew 26:66-68. How does the mob treat Jesus' statement that He is God? (They spit in his face, beat Him with their fists and slapped Him in the face.)
What point is the mob making when they say, "Prophesy to us, Christ. Who hit you?" (They are mocking Jesus' statement that He is God.)
If you are worthy of respect, if you have accomplished certain things in your life, how do you react to people who deny those things in an effort to make you look bad?
What if the people making the allegations are true low-lives?
Read Matthew 27:27-29. Imagine standing naked before those who are making fun of you. What is the purpose of the robe, the crown and the staff? (These are all to mock Jesus' claim to be God.)
Read Matthew 27:30-31. How do you react to being hit on the head? Imagine being hit on the head with a wooden rod when your head is covered with thorns?
Consider the psychological aspect of this. These people are being urged on by Satan to do this. Does Satan doubt who Jesus is? (No.)
So, what is the point? (Remember two weeks ago (Lesson 8) we discussed Satan's first wilderness temptation of Jesus? We decided that the underlying issue was pride and trust in God. We recalled these were the same temptations presented to Eve. This is the most extreme form of the temptation "If you are the Son of God.")
How can it be a temptation or a sin for Jesus to prove He was God? (Jesus would use His own divine power to prove the truth - thus, He would fail to trust God.)
How do you feel when you struggle with sin? How do you feel when you fail? Imagine feeling the dirtiness of the sin of all humanity at the same time as people deny your true nature while hurting you and laughing at you?
Forget the times when you deserved to be embarrassed. Have you ever had a temptation even remotely like this? If so, did you think you did the right thing by defending yourself?
Jesus is nailed to the cross and the base of the cross is dropped roughly into a hole. Read Matthew 27:39-43. "If He wants Him." With the weight of the sin on humanity, did Jesus know whether His Father wanted Him? Can the temptation to distrust God get any stronger? (Read Matthew 27:46. It feels as if God has left Him. But, Jesus still does not summon His own power. A side note: this shows the truth of the Bible. From beginning to end we have Satan's suggestion that we should not trust God. If a human were just writing a sympathetic story, he would focus on the physical pain Jesus suffered.)
Read John 19:30. What was finished? (The battle. Jesus had come as the second Adam and He lived a perfect life and died for our sins. We died with Him and in this (and the later resurrection) Satan and his demons were doomed.)
Friend, when you are tempted to sin think about the terrible experience our sins inflicted on Jesus. Think about how Satan humiliated Jesus and how Satan, though doomed, would like to use your sins to humiliate you and doom you. Will you decide today to never again treat sin lightly?
Next week: Benefits of Christ's Atoning Sacrifice.
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Atonement at the Cross
(Matthew 26 & 27)
Atonement and the Cross of Christ: Lesson 10
Copr. 2008, Bruce N. Cameron, J.D. All scripture references are to the New International Version (NIV), copr. 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society, unless otherwise noted. Quotations from the NIV are used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers. Suggested answers are found within parentheses. The lesson assumes the teacher uses a blackboard or some other visual aid. This lesson can be found at: <url:http://www.GoBible.Org/study/532.php>
Introduction: Have you considered engaging in a serious sin? If so, you weighed the consequences: would you get caught? How serious would the punishment be? Even if you were not caught, how would it affect you? I recall one friend saying (about a serious sin) "If I do it God will forgive me." When it comes to sin, our primary concern is how it will affect us. This week we look at how our sins affected Jesus. God paid a terrible price for our sins. Let's plunge into our study of the Bible and take a close and personal look at what our sin did to our loving Savior!
Gethsemane
Read Matthew 26:1-2. Crucifixion was the worst kind of death imposed by the government. If you were to be crucified, would you want to know in advance? Why or why not? (I remember my mother saying "When dad gets home he will spank you." Contemplating my fate did not make things any easier.)
Read Matthew 26:36-38. Look carefully at the words spoken by Jesus. How would you describe His mental attitude in today's terms? (He is sad and upset - deeply disturbed - so much that He feels overwhelmed to the point where He could just die.)
Have you ever felt such a deep sadness - that you thought you might die?
Have you ever felt overwhelmed with terror about the future?
Do you think this was fear of physical pain or a fear of death? (I would have feared the physical pain and death, but I don't think that is what Jesus is saying. Remember that our sins are now being laid on Him(Galatians 3:13; 2 Corinthians 5:21). Imagine the burden of a sinless God being weighted with the sins of all humanity.)
Read Matthew 26:39. What did Jesus want? (He wanted to avoid what was ahead of Him. He hoped that God the Father had worked out "Plan B" that would allow Him to escape the increasing weight of sin and torture that lay ahead of Him.)
Could Jesus have avoided it? (Yes. Notice that Jesus says "this cup to be taken away." Jesus did not have to "drink" this cup. Jesus could have gone back to heaven. He could have taken a "time out." He could have said "I've seen these people up close and personal and, frankly, they are not worth saving.")
What did Jesus pray that we should always pray? (I want God's will to prevail.)
Does that sometimes mean terrible things will happen? (Yes.)
Read Matthew 26:40-41. Have you ever gone through terrible problems and it seemed your friends did not care? They were more concerned about their comfort than about your needs?
Read Matthew 26:42. Is Jesus still looking for a way out? What does this reveal about His human nature?(We see His human side, how He would like to avoid what is coming, but He accepts God's will.)
Jesus goes back to Peter, James and John, and they have again failed Jesus by falling asleep. An armed crowd comes into the garden to arrest Jesus. It is led by Judas. Why would Judas do this? (Only two reasons make sense: 1)Judas decided that Jesus is not the Christ, or 2)Judas thinks Jesus needs a little prod to declare His kingdom. Jesus is surrounded by friends who it seems don't care enough, who don't believe Him or who think they are smarter than Him. What a sad picture.)
Read Matthew 26:50-53. Why doesn't Jesus call for twelve legions of angels? (This shows that Jesus voluntarily accepted what was coming.)
Why did Jesus mention twelve legions, as opposed to one hundred legions? (Jesus had twelve disciples. One just pulled out a sword. Jesus points out that He could have had 6,000 angels (a legion) for every disciple. He had real fire-power at His disposal - instead of His weak followers.)
When the enemy comes close, Peter, the formerly sleeping disciple, pulls his sword (John 18:11) to fulfill his promise that he would die before he would disown Jesus (Matthew 26:33-35). Has Peter been faithful or not? Don't we make fun of people who say they will "pray for us," but don't give any practical help? (Read Ephesians 6:12. Jesus was in the middle of a horrendous spiritual battle over the fate of the world. Peter thought the fight was against humans, not demons. Peter failed Jesus because he was not fighting at the point of conflict - the spiritual war.)
How do we know when to pull out a sword and when to pray?
Read Matthew 26:54. Was it really God's will that His Son be tortured and crucified? Could Jesus have reasonably said, "My Father in heaven is a loving God, it would never be His will that I be tortured, much less killed!" (After our last three lessons where we looked at how the sanctuary service prophesied how Jesus would die for our sins, we can see the "big picture." When bad things happen to us we need to have confidence that God has the "big picture" in mind and we need to just trust Him.)
Humiliation
Read Matthew 26:55-56. Why would Jesus care how they arrested Him? (This is the beginning of the humiliation. He was a respected teacher, not a dangerous thief or hiding thug.)
What happened to the promise (Matthew 26:35) that all the disciples made that they would die before they would disown Jesus?
What is the result? (Jesus goes alone into the terrible battle.)
Read Matthew 26:63 and Matthew 27:37. What is the official charge against Jesus? (That He is the Messiah, the King of the Jews, the Son of God.)
Read Matthew 26:64-65. Put yourself in Jesus' place. The High Priest, a man of the highest social standing, publicly calls you a liar about being the Messiah. How would you react?
Read Matthew 26:66-68. How does the mob treat Jesus' statement that He is God? (They spit in his face, beat Him with their fists and slapped Him in the face.)
What point is the mob making when they say, "Prophesy to us, Christ. Who hit you?" (They are mocking Jesus' statement that He is God.)
If you are worthy of respect, if you have accomplished certain things in your life, how do you react to people who deny those things in an effort to make you look bad?
What if the people making the allegations are true low-lives?
Read Matthew 27:27-29. Imagine standing naked before those who are making fun of you. What is the purpose of the robe, the crown and the staff? (These are all to mock Jesus' claim to be God.)
Read Matthew 27:30-31. How do you react to being hit on the head? Imagine being hit on the head with a wooden rod when your head is covered with thorns?
Consider the psychological aspect of this. These people are being urged on by Satan to do this. Does Satan doubt who Jesus is? (No.)
So, what is the point? (Remember two weeks ago (Lesson 8) we discussed Satan's first wilderness temptation of Jesus? We decided that the underlying issue was pride and trust in God. We recalled these were the same temptations presented to Eve. This is the most extreme form of the temptation "If you are the Son of God.")
How can it be a temptation or a sin for Jesus to prove He was God? (Jesus would use His own divine power to prove the truth - thus, He would fail to trust God.)
How do you feel when you struggle with sin? How do you feel when you fail? Imagine feeling the dirtiness of the sin of all humanity at the same time as people deny your true nature while hurting you and laughing at you?
Forget the times when you deserved to be embarrassed. Have you ever had a temptation even remotely like this? If so, did you think you did the right thing by defending yourself?
Jesus is nailed to the cross and the base of the cross is dropped roughly into a hole. Read Matthew 27:39-43. "If He wants Him." With the weight of the sin on humanity, did Jesus know whether His Father wanted Him? Can the temptation to distrust God get any stronger? (Read Matthew 27:46. It feels as if God has left Him. But, Jesus still does not summon His own power. A side note: this shows the truth of the Bible. From beginning to end we have Satan's suggestion that we should not trust God. If a human were just writing a sympathetic story, he would focus on the physical pain Jesus suffered.)
Read John 19:30. What was finished? (The battle. Jesus had come as the second Adam and He lived a perfect life and died for our sins. We died with Him and in this (and the later resurrection) Satan and his demons were doomed.)
Friend, when you are tempted to sin think about the terrible experience our sins inflicted on Jesus. Think about how Satan humiliated Jesus and how Satan, though doomed, would like to use your sins to humiliate you and doom you. Will you decide today to never again treat sin lightly?
Next week: Benefits of Christ's Atoning Sacrifice.
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Benefits of Christ's Atoning Sacrifice
(Hebrews 7, John 16)
Atonement and the Cross of Christ: Lesson 11
Copr. 2008, Bruce N. Cameron, J.D. All scripture references are to the New International Version (NIV), copr. 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society, unless otherwise noted. Quotations from the NIV are used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers. Suggested answers are found within parentheses. The lesson assumes the teacher uses a blackboard or some other visual aid. This lesson can be found at: <url:http://www.GoBible.Org/study/533.php>
Introduction: Last week we ended our study with Jesus' final words "It is finished" (John 19:30). What was finished? Was Jesus completely through with humanity? Had He done all that was necessary to reconcile us to the Father? There is some debate among Christians about what Jesus is doing right now. Did all of the benefits of Jesus' sacrifice come into place at the cross? Are the benefits still coming? We have previously studied the idea that Jesus is now acting as our High Priest in heaven, but there are certain technical problems with that idea. Plus, there is the belief that when Jesus was "finished," the Holy Spirit took over His work in an expanded way. Let's jump right into our study of the Bible and find out what Jesus is doing, if anything, for us right now!
A Better High Priest
Read Hebrews 7:11-14. Could any young man in Israel who wanted to grow up to be a priest become a priest? (No. Read Deuteronomy 10:8-9 and Numbers 3:10. Only the tribe of Levi ministered in the temple. Aaron and his sons (who were Levites) were the priests.)
Hebrews 7:14 points out that Jesus came from the tribe of Judah. If not everyone can just choose to be a priest, they have to have the right lineage, how can we claim that Jesus is now our High Priest? We have been studying how the Old Testament sanctuary service was a prophecy which was fulfilled in Jesus. Does this show we have a logical problem?
Since Jesus had such a miraculous birth, why didn't God arrange for Him to be born of a descendant of Aaron?
Read Hebrews 7:1-3. What two positions were held by Melchizedek? (He was both a priest and a king.)
Read Hebrews 7:4-9. Why does the writer of Hebrews get into this discussion of Melchizedek, Abraham and the Levites? (Hebrews argues that there is precedent for Jesus being both our High Priest and our King in Melchizedek. Melchizedek can be argued to be greater than Abraham and the Levites because they paid (directly or indirectly) a tithe to Melchizedek.)
If Jesus is supposed to be more like Melchizedek than like Aaron, if he is the pattern, why do we know so little about Melchizedek? Why wasn't the sanctuary system modeled around Melchizedek? (Read again Hebrews 7:3. Aaron is a person like we are. Melchizedek is a special, mysterious king. He is without a known beginning or end. He is a much better precedent for our Lord. Indeed, this is the most powerful reason why Jesus was not born from the line of the Levites and Aaron - He was much superior.)
Who declared that Jesus was like Melchizedek? (Read Hebrews 5:4-6. It says this authority came straight from God.)
Where did the writer of Hebrews get this statement? This seems to be a quote. What is he quoting? (Read Psalms 110:2-4. This is an Old Testament prophecy about Jesus.)
The Law Change
Re-read Hebrews 7:11-12. I asked previously why Jesus did not come from the line of Aaron. These verses add another reason. They say a changed priest means a changed law. How was the law changed? (Read Hebrews 7:17-19. The old system was "weak and useless" - it did not allow us to become perfect. We now have a better way to "draw near to God."
Does this mean the old law was completely thrown out the window? (No. We still have the "priest/sanctuary" system, it is just much improved. Hebrews argues that Jesus' authority has a precedent in Melchizedek and His work has its precedents in the Levitical priesthood.)
Read Hebrews 7:23-26. How has Jesus improved the old system?
Read Hebrews 8:1-2. This gets to the heart of the question about what, if anything, Jesus is doing for us right now. What is He doing? (He is "serving" in the heavenly sanctuary on our behalf. Hebrews 7:25 says that Jesus "always lives to intercede [for us].")
Read Hebrews 2:17-18 and Hebrews 4:14-16. What other advantage do we have with Jesus as our High Priest in heaven? (He understands our temptations and our weaknesses.)
Wouldn't Aaron be a better choice for understanding us since he was a sinner like us? (One night this week I was at a Bible study which examined the story of Balaam (Numbers 22-24). In many ways this is a very humorous story about a prophet who struggled (unsuccessfully) with greed and pride. I'm sure that every one of us in that group struggles with these same issues, but we were shaking our heads about dopey Balaam. Being a sinner does not always make us sympathetic.)
The Holy Spirit
Read John 16:7-8. Jesus is speaking to His disciples. Jesus says the "Counselor" will not come unless Jesus goes, who is this Counselor? I get referred to as "counselor" from time to time. Is Jesus referring to His lawyer? (Read John 14:16-17. Jesus calls this "Counsellor" "the Spirit of Truth." This is the Holy Spirit, the third element of the Trinity.)
Read John 16:8-11. What benefit do we get from having the Holy Spirit with us? (The Spirit convicts us of sin and guilt, He assures us of our righteousness through Jesus, and He reminds us that Jesus defeated Satan, and thus the world is headed towards judgment.)
Some people argue that the law was done away with at the cross. Some people say that guilt is bad. Some people deny the judgment side of God. Are these people filled with the Holy Spirit? (How can they be? They deny the principal work of the Holy Spirit.)
Read John 16:12-15. What link do we find between our risen Lord and the Holy Spirit? (Jesus explains that the Holy Spirit continues Jesus' work. The "baton" is passed on to another element of the Trinity.)
What other work does the Holy Spirit have? (He guides us into truth, He brings glory to Jesus by making Jesus' glory known to us.)
Why is this something that the disciples could not then "bear?" What is so burdensome about truth? (Recall that this statement was made before the cross. The whole new system was something that the disciples did not foresee. They thought Jesus was going to be Master of the current system - and the King of Israel.)
Read Romans 8:1-4. What is the "law of the Spirit of life" and does it have anything to do with the Holy Spirit? (Yes. Jesus fulfilled the requirements of the law. He lived the perfect life so that the requirements of the law might be "fully met in us." But this has the condition that we live in accord with the Spirit.)
Can you see now the link between the current High Priest work of Jesus in heaven and the work of the Holy Spirit on earth under the new system of law?
How important is it to live with the Holy Spirit guiding us? (Read Romans 8:5-8. If we live a life controlled by our sinful nature, we cannot please God. Read Romans 8:9. If we do not have the Holy Spirit we do not belong to Jesus.)
How do we know if we have the Holy Spirit? (Read Acts 1:4-5. We need baptism in the Holy Spirit. This is something more than being baptized with water. Receiving the Holy Spirit was critical for the mission of the disciples after Jesus left for His ministry in heaven. It was the way in which Jesus continued to work with them.)
Read Acts 4:31. Has the Holy Spirit shaken you? Has it shaken your church? If not, are you an outsider? Are you outside Jesus' present work in heaven and earth?
Friend, simply understanding what Jesus is doing in heaven for us right now is not enough. We need to be in the middle of what God is doing on earth right now through the Holy Spirit. The presence of the Holy Spirit is a benefit of Jesus' atonement. What is going on now is the powerful work of the Holy Spirit! If you have doubt that the Spirit is working in you in power, please invite the Spirit into your life right now.
Next week: United to Christ.
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United to Christ
(Romans 6)
Atonement and the Cross of Christ: Lesson 12
Copr. 2008, Bruce N. Cameron, J.D. All scripture references are to the New International Version (NIV), copr. 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society, unless otherwise noted. Quotations from the NIV are used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers. Suggested answers are found within parentheses. The lesson assumes the teacher uses a blackboard or some other visual aid. This lesson can be found at: <url:http://www.GoBible.Org/study/534.php>
Introduction: Let's review for a moment what we have learned in the past few weeks. Jesus came as a second Adam. Jesus succeeded where Adam failed. Just as we were swept into sin by Adam, so we are swept into righteousness by Jesus - if we choose. We can choose to be incorporated into Jesus' baptism, sinless life, death and resurrection by being baptized. Are we together so far? Last week we began to consider what is next: living life according to our spiritual, not human, nature. Let's continue to explore what it means to be united to Jesus in day-to-day living. Ready? Let's plunge into our Bibles!
New Life
Read Romans 6:3-4. What does Paul say we can have new? (A new life.)
Do you like new stuff? I've got a friend who used to say to me, "I like my toys new." That is not how I look at life. "Open box," "refurbished," "scratch and dent," "second" are my "brand names." For me, part of the joy of ownership is paying less.
What is the problem with getting used toys? (You inherit the problems of someone else.)
If you are reading this, you have a "used" life. (Hopefully, you don't qualify as a "scratch and dent.") What is the attraction of the "new life" offered by Jesus? (Those things you regret, those problems you created are part of the old life.)
Is leaving the old life behind really possible? Or, is this unrealistic talk?
Read Romans 6:5-7. How does Paul describe our new life? Does it completely erase the old life? (The Bible says the "body of sin" is "done away with" and we are "no longer ... slaves to sin." The memory and the awareness of past sins may be there, but sin, at least the dominance of sin, is past.)
Would it be best to completely forget our past sins? (For some people, getting burned by sin is an important aid for future conduct!)
Read Romans 6:8-11. When does our new life begin? Is this future? Or, is this something we can have right now? ("Count yourselves" means to apply it now. This new life is something we can have now.)
New Life Living
Read Romans 6:12-13. When I become new, when I take on my new life in Jesus, is the sin problem, if not sin dominance, a thing of the past? (We still have to make the decision to "not let sin reign in us.")
What does it mean to "offer" ourselves to God instead of to sin? (First, we have a conscious decision to make - and we need to be making it all the time. That decision is to choose righteousness instead of wickedness. Second, the word "offer" seems to mean be available, be willing. We make the choice for righteousness, but we let God make the decision on how we are used.)
Read Romans 6:14. If you just had a twinge of anxiety about the idea of turning your life over to God for Him to make the executive decisions, what does this text suggest? (It suggests that our decision is to continually choose sides. Even if we chose selfishness we are not the master - sin is the master.)
Can you remember (maybe short-term memory is all that is needed) when you were addicted to sin? (If the answer is "yes," then the reasonable conclusion is that we have more choice when we choose righteousness.)
Romans 6:14 says something very interesting. It says that sin is not our master because we are under grace and not law. Let's try to paraphrase this: You will no longer have to worry about a traffic accident or a traffic injury because we have abolished all of the traffic laws. No more speed limits. No more pesky stopping for traffic lights or stop signs. It's your choice on which side of the road to drive. Would that make any sense to you? (I think "not under law" means a couple of things. First, it means "not under the condemnation of the law." Grace has set us free from the condemnation of the law. Second, it means that keeping the law is not the way we seek salvation. Grace is our new way of salvation.)
Read the words of Jesus in Matthew 5:17-19. What does Jesus say about His role and the law? (If you think I'm going to teach you to break one of the commandments, you are not reading the text carefully!)
Read Galatians 3:10-11. In what way does Paul say here that we are not under the law? (We are not depending on the law to be just before God.)
Read Ephesians 4:22-24. What new part of our new self is mentioned here? (A new attitude.)
Those of you who have been reading these lessons for years know that I like to refer to "righteousness by attitude." What do you think this "new attitude" means? (You love God. You are grateful to God. You want to please Him. From experience I know it is hard to turn away from wanting to please yourself, it is even more difficult to be honest about what pleases God and what pleases you. But, if you decide by the power of the Holy Spirit to develop this attitude, you are on the right road.)
Read Romans 6:15-18. What does this say to Christians who argue that the law is done away with and that we can do whatever we want because we are under grace? (It tells us as clearly as possible that sin is not an option - even for those under grace. The reason why we should not (cannot) choose sin is because we will become a slave to it. As we mentioned before, anyone who has been addicted to sin (which is probably all of us) knows precisely what this text is talking about.)
Read Romans 6:19. What encouragement do you find in this verse? (Paul confesses that we are weak. How I love to know that other people are weak - it is not just me who is weak.)
What does Paul imply is the cure for human weakness? (Not to be in our "natural selves." He suggests we look to the Holy Spirit for power (against sin) beyond our natural self.)
Read Romans 6:20-21. Be honest, when you were addicted to sin, what benefit did you reap? How did it work out? (There is no doubt that sin has its attraction. But the outcome is a train wreck. If your sin did not result in a train wreck, thank God for His mercy to you and consider how it could have worked out if Satan had his way.)
Although Paul challenges us to consider the result of our sins here and now, he also directs our attention to the fact that the destination of the sin train is eternal death.
Considering all of this, how dumb do we have to be to choose sin?
Read Romans 6:22. Where does a life united to Jesus lead us? (Holiness and eternal life!)
When the verse says "leads to holiness" what does that suggest about the times when we slip and fall into old habits? (We are on a path. If we have the right attitude, if we ask the Holy Spirit to lead, if we choose to be united to Jesus, we will keep moving towards holiness. It might be three steps forward and one step back, but we are on the move towards holiness.)
Read Romans 6:23. What is within our power to earn and what is not within our power to earn? (We can earn death. Eternal life is a gift.)
Friend, are you living the new life now? Do you have an attitude that desires to please God? Do you want to live a Spirit-led life? Do you want to leave the dirty feeling of your sin addiction? Will you, right now, confess your sins to God and ask Him to help you this day to enter new life-living?
Next week: Atonement and Universal Harmony.
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Atonement and Universal Harmony
(Hebrews 9, Revelation 20 & 21, Matthew 25)
Atonement and the Cross of Christ: Lesson 13
Copr. 2008, Bruce N. Cameron, J.D. All scripture references are to the New International Version (NIV), copr. 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society, unless otherwise noted. Quotations from the NIV are used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers. Suggested answers are found within parentheses. The lesson assumes the teacher uses a blackboard or some other visual aid. This lesson can be found at: <url:http://www.GoBible.Org/study/535.php>
Introduction: What does the Bible say about the last chapters of human life on this sinful planet? Where does the earthly sanctuary service point us for the future? What does the Bible say about the conclusion of what Jesus has done for us as both the sacrificial Lamb and the High Priest? What is the standard for our final judgment? Let's dive into our last study on this topic and find out!
The Sanctuary's End
Read Hebrews 9:24-28. After Jesus finishes His work in the heavenly sanctuary, what will He do? (He will "appear a second time," i.e.,return to earth.)
How does this second coming of Jesus differ from the first? (This time He is not bearing our sin for us, He is coming to rescue us. He is coming to bring our salvation.)
Is Jesus bringing salvation for everyone? (No. Just those who are waiting for Him.)
Read Revelation 20:11-14. What are we seeing here? Is this the sanctuary in heaven? Is the sanctuary descending to earth? (Read Matthew 25:31-33. Jesus' mediation in heaven as our High Priest has ended. This is the return to earth spoken of in Hebrews 9:28. Jesus, on the judgment seat (John 5:22-23), returns to earth as our King and our Judge. The sanctuary in heaven is on the move towards our planet!)
Let's look again at Revelation 20:11-14. Hebrews told us that Jesus was coming to bring salvation. This does not sound like salvation to me. How do you explain this apparent conflict in what Jesus is bringing?
Notice that there seem to be several sets of books. How many books are there, and how many books are devoted to life? (There seem to be two groups of books. One group has multiple books. The other has only one. Recall last week that we ended our discussion with the "wages of sin." People earn their destruction. The deeds of the wicked are recorded in the group of multiple books. We don't know how many. However, for the righteous there is just one book - not a book of deeds, but simply a book recording their names.)
What is destroyed in this final judgment? (Death and Hell. There is a final end to death, Hell and the wicked.)
Read Revelation 20:15. What type of judgment takes place with regard to those whose names are written in the book of life? (It appears that the "judgment" for them is simply whether or not their name appears.)
How can that be? Why do the righteous simply have their names recorded? (The mediation of our High Priest in heaven has resulted in our sins being covered by Jesus' blood. His perfect life is our perfect life. There is no need to record our deeds because our deeds are not the basis for our judgment. Only the name is needed for those who have already passed from death to life (1 John 3:14-15).)
Is it safe to be judged by our deeds? (No. Those are the people who are lost!)
The U.S. Supreme Court building is very impressive. In pre-terrorist days, I walked up the many broad steps in front, through the huge outside columns, and into the grand entrance hall. There, I gave my name to a person just outside the big, bronze courtroom doors. They would confirm my name was on the list of members and I would be ushered to sit up front in the presence of the justices. No one asked me whether I was a "good enough" lawyer to sit in the presence of the Supreme Court. All they looked for was my name. This is the closest thing in my experience to the Revelation 20:15 admission to heaven.)
An alternate reading of Revelation 20:11-15 is that everyone - the lost and the saved - are judged according to what they have done. As they are being judged the names of the righteous are written in the book of life. Can you square that reading with the sanctuary system we have been discussing all quarter? When the sinner appeared with the lamb at the sanctuary, did the forgiveness of sins depend on the relative merits of the person's deeds? If so, why did the lamb get killed as opposed to the person being killed or punished? (The question then and now is the same: whether you have the Lamb.)
If the "judgment" of the righteous is not based on their deeds, but only on whether their names are in the book of life, on what basis is your name written? Does that involve some sort of judgment? Let's look at a few texts on this.
Read Revelation 3:5 and Revelation 21:27. Do these texts suggest that a simple declaration gets our name written in the book of life?
Read the words of our Lord in Matthew 25:31-40. What happened to just having our names written in the book of life? Isn't this clearly a judgment based on works?
Where, in the Ten Commandments, are we told about anything like this?
Read what Jesus says in Matthew 7:21-23. How do you explain this text? Jesus says words are not enough to have your name written in the book of life, but then Jesus says these great works accounted for nothing!
Read Jesus' words in Matthew 5:21-22. Have we not gone from bad to worse? Now we not only get judged on our works we get judged on our mental process! Is it so hard to get our names written in the book of life?
Let's go back and revisit a point we have studied repeatedly this quarter. Read Romans 6:1-4. When, in baptism, we died for our sins through Jesus, our name was written in the Lamb's Book of Life.
Read Romans 6:5-7 and Romans 6:11-18. Friend, let's see if the parts of the puzzle can now fall into place. In the sanctuary service, there never was a judgment based on the deeds of the sinner. Everything was based on the lamb. But, seeing that lamb die must have moved the heart of the sinner. How much more should seeing Jesus die for us move our hearts! This new attitude is the new self, the old self has died. This is why in Matthew 5:21-22, Jesus tells us that anger (an attitude), not murder (a work) is the new standard for judgment. This is why in Matthew 25:31-36 Jesus talks about a judgment of the righteous based on acts of kindness, not violations of the Ten Commandments. This is why in Matthew 7:21-23 Jesus says that knowing Him, not good deeds, is the key to heaven.
Read Matthew 22:36-40. Does Jesus' explanation now make sense? The wicked face a judgment based on their works under the law - their violation of the Ten Commandments. Our names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life based on our acceptance of what Jesus has done for us in His works of unbelievable love and sacrifice. Our names remain in the book of life (see Revelation 3:5 about the possibility of having your name blotted out) when we live in this attitude of gratitude and love for what Jesus has done for us. That transforms our attitude towards others! 1 John 3:14 tells us this love marks our passage from death to life.)
Can you decide today to start being loving? (No! How could you ever grit your teeth and love? This is an impossible "work.")
If you think about Jesus, and the love is not happening, are you just lost? (Carefully review Romans 8:1-17. The Holy Spirit is the key to this transformation of our hearts. It is the key to keeping our names written in the book of life.)
The New Earth
Read Revelation 21:1-3. What is the final destination of God's throne? (The New Jerusalem, the throne of God come down to the earth made new. God and saved humans now live together.)
Read Revelation 21:4. What is part of the "old order" and what is the new order of things? (Tears, crying and mourning are our reaction to pain and death. Pain and death, and all that flows from them is gone under the new order.)
How can everything be so perfect when some people entered heaven not because they had perfect deeds, but because they had their name written in the book of life? Might these be dangerous neighbors? (No. An attitude of love is the key to the book of life. Imagine living in a place where everyone loved you - everyone had your best interests in mind!)
Read Revelation 21:5-7. What else is a part of the new order for those whose names are written in the book of life? (You can continually drink from the spring of the water of life. You inherit all things new. You have a father-son relationship with Jesus!)
Read Revelation 21:8. What is the alternative destination? Look at this list. Why would God mention being "cowardly" as a sin - the first sin, even? Why would it be mentioned before those who are "vile?") (Barnes Notes suggests these are the people who were afraid to be known as friends of God in a wicked world.)
Friend, do you have the courage to be baptized and have your name written in the Lamb's Book of Life? Do you have the courage to confess your sins to God and ask the Holy Spirit to lead your life? Do you have the courage to desire a loving nature? Do you have the courage to follow Jesus? If so, I invite you to take that step and contemplate the reward which lies ahead of you! Praise God for this great opportunity? Praise Him for His amazing grace and love!
Next week: We begin a new series entitled "The Prophetic Gift."
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