The Road to Faith

“The Road to Faith”

Larry R Evans

Sabbath School

November 12, 2011

Introduction

Perhaps one of the most difficult subjects to understand but also one of the most important is the relationship between law and gospel. How this “single” subject is understood shapes to a large degree one’s view of God as well as one’s own of self. Is the law at odds with the promise made to Abraham or does it give even more emphasis to the promised grace of God? That will be the focus of our study this week. The following are a few quotes from Ellen White on Galatians 3:21-25 that may be of interest to you in your study.

Ellen G White Comments

Found in

The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Vol.6, p.1071

20-31 (Galatians 6:14; Ephesians 2:8, 9; Titus 3:5; Hebrews 7:25; Revelation 22:17). With Humble Hearts Survey the Atonement.--Let no one take the limited, narrow position that any of the works of man can help in the least possible way to liquidate the debt of his transgression. This is a fatal deception. If you would understand it, you must cease haggling over your pet ideas, and with humble hearts survey the atonement. {6BC 1071.4}

This matter is so dimly comprehended that thousands upon thousands claiming to be sons of God are children of the wicked one, because they will depend on their own works. God always demanded good works, the law demands it, but because man placed himself in sin where his good works were valueless, Jesus' righteousness alone can avail. Christ is able to save to the uttermost because He ever liveth to make intercession for us. {6BC 1071.5}

All that man can possibly do toward his own salvation is to accept the invitation, "Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." No sin can be committed by man for which satisfaction has not been met on Calvary. Thus the cross, in earnest appeals, continually proffers to the sinner a thorough expiation (MS 50, 1900). {6BC 1071.6}

24-26 (see EGW on ch. 5:11). The Father Abundantly Satisfied.--The atonement that has been made for us by Christ is wholly and abundantly satisfactory to the Father. God can be just, and yet the justifier of those who believe (MS 28, 1905). {6BC 1071.7}

Reflective Quiz

1. God gave His promise to Abraham but changed His mind and gave his law instead to those who came after Abraham. (Gal. 3:21; James 1:17) True or False?

2. Keeping the law makes one a prisoner. (Gal. 3:23; 4:21; James 2:12) True or False?

3. How we relate to God’s law may have more to do with our own desires than the purpose God had in mind when giving the law. (Gal. 3:24; Rom. 8:9-14) True or False?

4. Both the ceremonial and ten commandment law are school masters. (Gal. 3:23) True or False?

5. Jesus of the New Testament came to set sinners free from the God of the Old Testament. True or False?

Class Notes

1. God gave His promise to Abraham but changed His mind and gave his law instead to those who came after Abraham. (Gal. 3:21; James 1:17) False

In our earlier study we established that the promise and agreement made with Abraham by God was very one-sided! God was to provide. Abraham was to believe and walk with God. Simple? Not really. Believing when the future seems dubious at best is not easy. It is all about trust. That’s why this week’s lesson is entitled “The Road to Faith.” The question being asked, however, is: Did God change his mind, change the basis for Abraham’s secure future?

The promise (Gen. 17:1,2):

When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lordappeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless. ² I will confirm my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.”

Perhaps a confusing passage for Paul’s audience:

⁴ You must obey my laws and be careful to follow my decrees. I am the Lord your God. ⁵ Keep my decrees and laws, for the man who obeys them will live by them. I am the Lord.

Paul’s clarification:

²¹ Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law. ²² But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.

“The law cannot be ‘contrary’ to the promises of God because the law and the promise are not rivals. They are both part of God’s one and only plan to save a world torn apart by sin. The law and the gospel simply play different roles.” Cosaert, p.69.

“. . . it is not the law’s fault that it cannot give life. God never intended for it to do that. The law can testify to what is right and wrong, but it is unable to forgive sin or give humans the moral power to obey its commands. Ibid, p.70

Illustration: Two different groups of a football team: the offense and the defense.

2. Keeping the law makes one a prisoner. (Gal. 3:23; 4:21; James 2:12) False

²² But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.

²³ Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law,locked up until faith should be revealed. ²⁴ So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. ²⁵ Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law.

Question: What is Paul’s primary concern? Is it the law or is it sin?

Paul’s concern is clearly with the dominion of “sin” over the whole world. We are prisoners of sin which is revealed by the law “SO THAT” we can break that bondage through Christ who justifies us by faith. The foundation for this was established with Abraham! Verse 22 becomes the base thought from which his argument is made for hope given through Christ. The law was anything but a curse but neither was it the savior.

A parallel passage might be: Rom. 7:21- 8:2

²² For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; ²³ but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.²⁴ What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? ²⁵ Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!

So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.

8:1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, ² because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.

3. How we relate to God’s law may have more to do with our own desires than the purpose God had in mind when giving the law. (Gal. 3:24; Rom. 8:9-14) True

²⁴ So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. (Gal 3:24)

⁹ You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. ¹⁰ But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. ¹¹ And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you. (Rom. 8:9-14)

The liberty of which Paul is so anxious for everyone to pursue is freedom from the dominion of sin – even to not do what one does not want to do and to be able to do what one would like to do. (Rom. 7)

¹⁴ For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace. (Rom. 6:14)

4. Both the ceremonial and ten commandment law are school masters. (Gal. 3:23) True

²³ Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. ²⁴So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. ²⁵ Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law. (Gal 3:23-25, NIV)

²³ But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. ²⁴ Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.²⁵ But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. (Gal. 3:23-25)

“The paidagogos was a slave that Roman society placed in a position of authority over the master’s son or sons from the time they turned 6 or 7 until they reached maturity. . . . But of all of the various things a paidagogos might do, his primary task boiled down to protection, prevention, and correction.” (Cosaert, p.75)

“God’s law was necessary ‘because we are also held in the custody of sin’s prevailing influence.” . . . It is true that the law does have the negative role of pointing out and condemning sin. But it also has the positive function of guarding and protecting us form evil. And even the negative aspect of condemning sin ultimately has the positive objective of helping us realize our need for Christ.” (Ibid. p. 77)

What law is the schoolmaster?

“What law is the schoolmaster to bring us to Christ? I answer both: Both the ceremonial and the moral code of ten commandments.” Ellen White, 1SM, p.233.

“The law reveals sin to us, and causes us to feel our need of Christ and to flee unto Him for pardon and peace by exercising repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Ellen White, 1SM, p. 234)

5. Jesus of the New Testament came to set sinners free from the God of the Old Testament. False

After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed:

“Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. ² For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. ³ Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. ⁴ I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. (Jn 17:1-4)

Marcionism was an Early Christian dualist belief system that originated in the teachings of Marcion of Sinope at Rome around the year 144;^[1] see alsoChristianity in the 2nd century.

Marcion believed Jesus Christ was the savior sent by God and Paul of Tarsus was his chief apostle, but he rejected the Hebrew Bible and the God of Israel(YHWH Elohim). Marcionists believed that the wrathful Hebrew God was a separate and lower entity than the all-forgiving God of the New Testament. This belief was in some ways similar to Gnostic Christian theology; notably, both are dualistic.

Marcion declared that Christianity was distinct from and in opposition to Judaism, see also Anti-Judaism. He rejected the entire Hebrew Bible, and declared that the God of the Hebrew Bible was a lesser demiurge, who had created the earth, but was (de facto) the source of evil.

The premise of Marcionism is that many of the teachings of Christ are incompatible with the actions of the God of the Old Testament. Focusing on the Pauline traditions of the Gospel, Marcion felt that all other conceptions of the Gospel, and especially any association with the Old Testament religion, was opposed to, and a backsliding from, the truth. He further regarded the arguments of Paul regarding law and gospel, wrath and grace, works and faith, flesh and spirit, sin and righteousness, death and life, as the essence of religious truth. He ascribed these aspects and characteristics as two principles, the righteous and wrathful God of the Old Testament, who is at the same time identical with the creator of the world, and a second God of the Gospel, quite unknown before Christ, who is only love and mercy. (Wikapedia)

Conclusion

For Paul and hopefully for us, Christ is everything . Heaven has spoken very clearly: sin is the enemy and through Christ victory is certain. God established a definite plan for our redemption in which He made a promise with Abraham – a promise that spoke victory despite the pervasive sin problem. To ensure that the principles of His kingdom were not forgotten the law was given but never as a savior. The law and the promise are both part of the same solution. They are not two different ways to be saved and never were. With the coming of Christ a more in depth view of God and His plan was made more clear. With such a revelation we do not merely follow a set of rules. We have Jesus but in doing so we do not negate the law but we see an even higher calling. The ultimate conformity is to Christ. Being under such grace brings confidence not despair. We remain a work in progress as the Holy Spirit empowers us to see more clearly and to be more like Jesus. Combined, the law and the gospel are a clear revelation of God’s expectations, His character and His desire to claim us as His children. Like Abraham of old, we are directed towards the road of faith but whether we take that road or a detour is a choice we must make.