The Bible tells us, "In
the beginning was the Word,
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and the Word was with
God, and the Word was God."
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It says, "To
receive with meekness
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the implanted Word,
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which is able
to save your souls.
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And to be diligent
to present yourself
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approved to God
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rightly dividing
the Word of truth."
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Join us now for the
3ABN Sabbath School Panel.
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Our study today is
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"Salvation by Faith
Alone" the Book of Romans.
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Well, hello and welcome
to 3ABN Sabbath School Panel.
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We are so delighted
that you've joined with us
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and we are studying
'Salvation by Faith Alone',
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the Book of Romans.
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And today, we're
in the second lesson
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of the fourth quarter of 2017
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and our subject matter
today is the controversy.
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Now you that are
studying along with us,
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if you don't have a
quarterly, let me encourage you,
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go to your local
Seventh-day Adventist Church
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and ask them for a quarterly.
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They'll be happy
to get one for you
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or you may go
online and download a copy
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of the quarterly,
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it's ABSG.Adventist.org,
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click on the fourth
quarter download it,
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because we want you to
have the material before you
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along with your Bible
as we're studying together.
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Now I would like to introduce
our panelists to you today.
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First, we have Shelley Quinn,
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Shelley always a
joy to have you with us.
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Pastor Lomacang,
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my very own
pastor and good friend,
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another good
friend Pastor CA Murray,
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and my precious
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almost like a
daughter to me Jill Morikone,
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such a joy to
have all of you here.
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You know before we get
started in this wonderful study
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that we've got
today on the controversy.
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Jill, I'm gonna ask
you to open in prayer.
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Holy Father, we come
before You in the name of Jesus.
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And we just thank You
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for the privilege of
opening up Your Word.
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We ask right now
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for the anointing
of Your Holy Spirit
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that You would
give us ears to hear,
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that You would
anoint our tongues,
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that Your Word would come alive.
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And that we would not be hearers
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only and step away.
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But that we would be
doers of what You have for us.
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We thank You in the
precious and holy name of Jesus.
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Amen. Amen.
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Now our memory
text today is John 1:17,
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would you all like to read
that along with me, John 1:17,
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"The law was given by Moses,
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but grace and truth
came by Jesus Christ."
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Now the early
church was composed.
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Again we're looking
at controversy today.
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The early church was
composed mostly of Jews
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who never for one minute thought
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that by accepting
the Jewish Messiah
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that they were in
any way turning away
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from the fathers
of their covenant
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and the covenant promises
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that God had made to His people.
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The issue for the
early Jewish believers
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was whether Jews
had to become Christians
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in order to accept Jesus Christ,
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and here's the controversy,
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does a Jew have
to become a Christian
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in order to accept Jesus?
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On the other hand,
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the issue for the gentiles
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was whether they
had to become Jews
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before they could accept Jesus.
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So with that and this
is what Paul is addressing.
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The Jerusalem
Council studied the issue
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and determined that the gentiles
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didn't need to become Jews
first in order to accept Jesus.
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However, there
were some teachers,
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they were called Judaizers.
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There were some teachers
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who wouldn't abide by
the council's determination
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and they continued
teaching otherwise.
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And these are some of the issues
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that Paul in his love for
the church had to address.
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Now we have to remember
Satan's two pronged approach
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to destroying the early church.
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And you know what?
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Pastor Lomacang,
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it's the same
approach Satan uses today
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to destroy our church
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and that is
persecution and destruction
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from the outside.
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What were the two things?
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Persecution and
destroy from the outside,
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on the inside...
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Compromise.
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Deception which
would lead to compromise,
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still the same
thing, destruction,
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that comes from the
inside of the church.
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Now my portion
to cover is Sunday
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and it's a better covenant,
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and I want you
to turn to Hebrews,
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that's Hebrews 8:6,
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we're gonna get
to that scripture
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in just a moment,
a better covenant.
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We have two covenants.
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Old covenant Judaism,
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new covenant what would that be?
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Christianity. Christianity.
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We have a new, old covenant,
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but we have a better
covenant or the new covenant.
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What event occurred to introduce
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the New Testament era?
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What brought in
the New Testament?
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It was the
coming of the Messiah,
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the coming of the
Lord Jesus Christ.
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And what God promised to
do with the coming of Christ
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was the new covenant.
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Now with this new covenant,
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with this new
covenant of Christianity,
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there was a huge transition
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that had to take
place for the Jews.
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But it also was
a huge transition
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that gospel was
opened up to the gentiles.
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Remember Paul is the
apostle to the gentiles.
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So the huge transition
for both gentiles and Jews
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and the transition for the
Jews is all they had ever known
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was the old covenant of
Judaism their whole life.
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That's all they'd ever known.
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Now there was a new covenant,
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huge transition
with the gentiles.
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What had the gentiles?
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What was the only thing
the gentiles had ever known?
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That would be darkness. Yeah.
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And now we've got a new covenant
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that is full of
nothing but light.
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And so it was a huge
transition for them as well.
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Paul's principal aim
in the Book of Romans
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was to help both the Jews
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and the gentiles
make this transition,
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to transition into the church.
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Now, had you
turn to Hebrews 8:6,
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let's read this,
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"But now he has obtained
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a more excellent
ministry in as much is
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he's also mediator
of a better covenant
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which was
established on better promises."
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So we're going to look at
a more excellent ministry.
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What would make
it a better covenant?
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Christ isn't a priest
in the earthly sanctuary,
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but where is Christ the priest?
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Heavenly.
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He's in the heavenly sanctuary
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because so much
of His priestly work
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is performed unseen to humanity,
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unseen to human eyes.
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It was hard for those
original Jewish people
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who were learning of Jesus
as their high priest to believe
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that His priesthood
is better than the one
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that they could see
with their actual eyes.
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That was the old
covenant priesthood.
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That is one reason
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why so many of
them wanted to return
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to the old covenant
to rules and rituals
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they could see
and they could touch.
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What they could see was
what they were looking for,
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what they could touch,
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but we realize
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this is a new covenant
based on better promises.
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What they didn't understand
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is what you and I
just take for granted.
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And that's that
those Old Testament priests
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were nothing but a shadow.
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What is more important,
the shadow or the substance?
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What is the substance?
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Christ is the
reality of things to come
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and the real is always
better than the shadow.
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The reality found
in the new covenant
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makes Christ's
priesthood far superior
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to the earthly priesthood.
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Now the old
covenant was a come and see.
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That's what the Jews would do,
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invite people to
come and see their temples
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and all that they had to
see what God had done for them.
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But you know what
the new covenant is?
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Here, you've received it.
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Now go tell. That's right.
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The new covenant
called them into Jerusalem,
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the old covenant
called them into Jerusalem.
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The new covenant sends you
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to the four
corners of the earth.
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Now go tell what
Christ has done for you.
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The new covenant is purchased
by the blood of Christ,
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put into effect by
the Spirit of Christ
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and by faith in
Christ you receive it.
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It's based on better promises.
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Now let's look at
those better promises.
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The promises of the
new covenant aren't better
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because they're different,
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but rather because of the manner
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in which they were given
to each and every one of us.
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Although the salvation
promises of the old covenant
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and the new covenant
believers is the same salvation
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was the same old
covenant, new covenant.
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The old covenant saints
didn't have the same clarity
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of Revelation that you and I do.
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In the old covenant,
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how did God reveal
His plan for a man?
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He spoke through man,
didn't come directly from Him.
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How did we
receive this new covenant?
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Through the Son of God.
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The Son of God,
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Himself came to earth
and spoke to us directly,
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the Lord Jesus Christ.
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The new covenant
is better not because
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its promises are different,
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but because its
promises came directly from God.
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So we've got a better covenant
based on better promises.
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Now I want to tell it to you
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just a minute
about God's moral law.
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Obedience to God's moral law
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is just as much a
part of the new covenant
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as it was of the old covenant.
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People would want to
argue that point with you.
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In the old covenant,
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the law was
written on tables of stone
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and the new covenant,
where is that law written?
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It's written on
the fleshly tables
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of our heart.
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The Ten Commandment law,
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the moral law of God
was in effect before Sinai,
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before God with
his finger wrote those
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that moral law on
those tablets of stone.
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It was in effect
before Mount Sinai
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and it's been in effect
ever since and it will continue
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to be in effect
throughout eternity,
00:11:12.20\00:11:14.37
do I here in
agreement with that.
00:11:14.40\00:11:17.07
Remember the rich young
ruler that would be Matthew 19,
00:11:17.11\00:11:20.44
if you want to turn to it.
00:11:20.48\00:11:21.84
Matthew 19:16-17,
00:11:21.88\00:11:25.25
the rich young
ruler that came to Jesus.
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Here's what he
said, "Now behold,
00:11:28.92\00:11:31.55
one came and said
to him, Good Teacher,
00:11:31.59\00:11:35.12
what good thing shall I do,
that I may have eternal life?
00:11:35.16\00:11:40.96
So he said to him,
'Why did you call me good?
00:11:40.96\00:11:44.47
No one is good,
but one, that is, God.
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But if you want to enter
into life, do something...'"
00:11:47.64\00:11:51.81
Keep the commandments.
00:11:51.84\00:11:53.17
Keep the commandments.
00:11:53.21\00:11:54.81
Revelations 12:17 says,
00:11:54.84\00:11:57.81
"And the dragon was
enraged with the woman,
00:11:57.85\00:12:02.02
and he went to make war
with the rest of her offspring,
00:12:02.05\00:12:05.95
who keep the commandments of God
00:12:05.99\00:12:09.69
and have the
testimony of Jesus Christ."
00:12:09.72\00:12:12.79
A better covenant,
00:12:12.83\00:12:14.56
old covenant Judaism
with its tabernacles,
00:12:14.60\00:12:18.33
priesthood,
00:12:18.37\00:12:19.90
sacrifices was all about coming
and seeing what we've got.
00:12:19.93\00:12:25.27
Whereas this new covenant
00:12:25.31\00:12:27.88
that we have through
the Lord Jesus Christ
00:12:27.91\00:12:30.91
is all about going and telling
what Jesus has done for us,
00:12:30.95\00:12:35.88
just tell the world about Jesus.
00:12:35.92\00:12:39.85
That's what the new
covenant is all about.
00:12:39.89\00:12:42.92
And that's what
00:12:42.96\00:12:44.29
we are called
every one of us to do
00:12:44.33\00:12:46.43
is to take the Gospel
of the Lord Jesus Christ
00:12:46.46\00:12:49.10
and share this new
covenant with the whole world.
00:12:49.13\00:12:52.23
Amen and amen.
00:12:52.27\00:12:53.60
Well, my lesson is Monday,
00:12:53.67\00:12:55.50
the Jewish laws and regulations.
00:12:55.54\00:12:58.27
And, Mollie, what
you touched on just said,
00:12:58.31\00:13:01.54
it's perfect platform for this
because when we think about it,
00:13:01.58\00:13:06.01
there, I grew up being
taught in the Old Testament,
00:13:06.05\00:13:09.58
it was salvation by works,
00:13:09.62\00:13:11.02
New Testament,
salvation by grace.
00:13:11.05\00:13:13.12
But as I study God's covenants,
00:13:13.15\00:13:15.92
I learned that
salvation has always been
00:13:15.96\00:13:19.06
by grace through faith.
00:13:19.09\00:13:20.60
In the Old Testament,
00:13:20.63\00:13:23.73
just from the
beginning with Moses,
00:13:23.77\00:13:25.50
that covenant was made
00:13:25.53\00:13:27.14
that his faith
was accredited to him
00:13:27.20\00:13:29.64
as righteousness.
00:13:29.67\00:13:31.27
And what we see as we study
00:13:31.31\00:13:34.58
the progressive
revelation of God's covenants
00:13:34.61\00:13:40.28
is we see the unfolding
of one plan of salvation.
00:13:40.32\00:13:44.32
Now when we talk about
the laws and regulations
00:13:44.35\00:13:47.46
in the Old Testament,
00:13:47.52\00:13:48.86
it's so convenient for us
00:13:48.89\00:13:50.23
to take those
into kind of lump them
00:13:50.26\00:13:55.60
into categories.
00:13:55.63\00:13:57.00
We've got the moral law
which was the Ten Commandments
00:13:57.03\00:14:00.17
which as you said
was definitely in place
00:14:00.24\00:14:03.64
even during Abraham's
time because in Genesis 26,
00:14:03.71\00:14:08.31
when God renewed the
covenant of salvation
00:14:08.34\00:14:11.68
by grace through faith
with Abraham's son Isaac.
00:14:11.71\00:14:15.65
He said he did so
00:14:15.68\00:14:17.02
because Abraham obeyed
all of His commandments.
00:14:17.09\00:14:22.42
But we've got the moral
law, the Ten Commandments,
00:14:22.46\00:14:25.56
we've got civil laws,
we've got ceremonial laws,
00:14:25.59\00:14:29.93
there were
judgments and statutes
00:14:29.96\00:14:32.47
and then health laws.
00:14:32.50\00:14:34.54
When we consider, when we
say the Law of Moses typically
00:14:34.57\00:14:38.21
if it says the Law of Moses,
00:14:38.24\00:14:40.74
we're talking about
Moses and the prophets,
00:14:40.78\00:14:42.61
the entire Old Testament.
00:14:42.64\00:14:45.98
But when we think
about the covenants,
00:14:46.01\00:14:51.29
when we talk about the first,
it wasn't God's first covenant,
00:14:51.32\00:14:54.22
it was just prior
to the new covenant.
00:14:54.26\00:14:57.23
So when you think about
what happened at Mount Sinai,
00:14:57.29\00:15:01.23
they came there, God
wooed them by His love.
00:15:01.26\00:15:06.94
He talked to them in
covenant love language
00:15:06.97\00:15:10.01
and then He says,
00:15:10.04\00:15:11.74
"Sanctify yourself
because I'm gonna talk to you.
00:15:11.77\00:15:14.54
I'm gonna talk
to the whole crowd."
00:15:14.58\00:15:16.98
See they had forgotten
00:15:17.05\00:15:18.78
how sinful they were
and how holy God was.
00:15:18.81\00:15:21.35
So God comes down,
00:15:21.38\00:15:22.72
does a shocking all
campaign on the Mount of Sinai
00:15:22.75\00:15:27.99
with thunderings and lightnings
00:15:28.02\00:15:29.79
and He speaks
the Ten Commandments.
00:15:29.82\00:15:32.83
Well, the people say,
00:15:32.86\00:15:34.20
"All that God has said will do."
00:15:34.30\00:15:36.56
I think it wasn't an
appropriate response myself
00:15:36.63\00:15:38.93
but they were relying on self.
00:15:38.97\00:15:41.27
Now Moses goes up the
mountain, they've agreed to,
00:15:41.30\00:15:43.91
you know, the people have agreed
00:15:43.97\00:15:45.31
to in a covenant relationship.
00:15:45.34\00:15:46.68
Moses goes up the mountain.
God is up there for 40 days.
00:15:46.71\00:15:50.91
God gives him the...
00:15:50.95\00:15:55.75
the laws that are
going to be what they call
00:15:55.78\00:15:59.52
for the old covenant.
00:15:59.55\00:16:01.12
When he comes down and
gives these to the people,
00:16:01.16\00:16:04.73
he ratifies this old covenant
with the blood sacrifice.
00:16:04.76\00:16:11.47
As you said, the
ratification of the new covenant
00:16:11.50\00:16:14.90
wasn't with goats or
bulls but with Jesus.
00:16:14.94\00:16:17.91
And the people once again,
00:16:17.94\00:16:19.71
Moses read God's or
spoke God's words to them,
00:16:19.74\00:16:23.78
then he writes God's words
00:16:23.85\00:16:25.85
and he reads
God's words to them.
00:16:25.88\00:16:27.62
Once again they say, "Oh,
God has said, we will do."
00:16:27.65\00:16:30.92
So Moses puts this
old covenant into place
00:16:30.99\00:16:36.42
and this book
that he wrote it in,
00:16:36.46\00:16:38.16
it's called 'The
Book of the Covenant'.
00:16:38.19\00:16:39.53
That's the first
written Word of God,
00:16:39.56\00:16:41.40
The Book of the Covenant
00:16:41.43\00:16:42.76
because everything else
00:16:42.80\00:16:44.13
was in the camp old
tradition before that.
00:16:44.17\00:16:47.10
So now Moses goes back
up for 40 days and 40 nights
00:16:47.14\00:16:50.87
and the people
think "Where is he?
00:16:50.91\00:16:52.31
He's not here."
00:16:52.34\00:16:54.04
And they break the covenant
with God and they build,
00:16:54.08\00:16:58.38
create a golden calf
and start worshipping it.
00:16:58.41\00:17:01.48
And the point is this,
00:17:01.52\00:17:03.62
Moses now comes back
down with Ten Commandments
00:17:03.65\00:17:06.99
that God is written
with His own finger.
00:17:07.02\00:17:09.12
Moses wrote the
commandments of God.
00:17:09.16\00:17:10.49
God spoke them,
00:17:10.56\00:17:11.89
Moses wrote them
in the old covenant.
00:17:11.93\00:17:14.00
Now Moses comes down
with written tables of stone,
00:17:14.03\00:17:19.70
God had written.
00:17:19.73\00:17:21.07
Why did God write that on stone?
00:17:21.10\00:17:23.30
I mean Moses had already spoken,
00:17:23.34\00:17:25.21
God spoke it, Moses wrote
it, but now God writes it.
00:17:25.24\00:17:29.51
It's because He wanted to show
00:17:29.54\00:17:31.51
the permanency of His moral law.
00:17:31.55\00:17:35.32
So Moses finds
they've broken this,
00:17:35.35\00:17:38.89
he goes, he breaks
the tablets goes back up,
00:17:38.92\00:17:44.69
then God gives him
two more tables of stone
00:17:44.73\00:17:47.73
written with His own finger
00:17:47.76\00:17:49.53
and he gives them
some of the ceremonial,
00:17:49.56\00:17:54.30
he expands his ceremonial laws.
00:17:54.34\00:17:57.01
Now if you look at the
Book of the Covenant written
00:17:57.07\00:18:01.84
three months approximately
is, is when the old,
00:18:01.88\00:18:05.41
after they arrived at Sinai
00:18:05.45\00:18:07.45
is when they got the
Book of the Covenant.
00:18:07.48\00:18:09.88
Then they built the
sanctuary and nine months
00:18:09.92\00:18:14.72
after the Book of the Covenant,
00:18:14.76\00:18:16.39
so it's about a year
into their wandering,
00:18:16.42\00:18:18.53
the sanctuary is done
00:18:18.56\00:18:20.56
and Moses writes
the Book of Leviticus
00:18:20.63\00:18:23.90
with all of these laws,
and statutes, and regulations,
00:18:23.97\00:18:28.10
and the health laws,
00:18:28.14\00:18:29.64
and we kind of put
these in different categories,
00:18:29.67\00:18:33.41
but actually they're
all very interrelated,
00:18:33.48\00:18:37.08
they overlap.
00:18:37.15\00:18:38.75
So what Moses
00:18:38.78\00:18:40.65
then does 40 years
later on the plains of Moab,
00:18:40.72\00:18:45.29
he expands all of
this and writes it
00:18:45.32\00:18:47.56
in what's called
the Book of the Law.
00:18:47.59\00:18:50.13
The Book of the Law
goes in the side of the Ark
00:18:50.16\00:18:53.33
at God's command in a pocket
00:18:53.40\00:18:55.36
that was to be a
witness against them.
00:18:55.40\00:18:57.97
The book, the Ten Commandments
go inside the Ark to show
00:18:58.00\00:19:02.40
that they are permanent
00:19:02.44\00:19:04.27
and they are God's
definite foundation
00:19:04.34\00:19:09.11
of His government.
00:19:09.14\00:19:11.08
But the civil laws
00:19:11.11\00:19:13.15
that were based on
the Ten Commandments
00:19:13.18\00:19:15.65
that were given as
part of the old covenant,
00:19:15.68\00:19:17.95
they couldn't be
followed most of them,
00:19:17.99\00:19:21.26
once they had come into,
00:19:21.29\00:19:23.96
when they lost
their independence
00:19:23.99\00:19:25.33
and they were under Roman rule.
00:19:25.36\00:19:27.50
Ceremonial laws, all
of the laws that had to do
00:19:27.56\00:19:31.47
with the
sacrifices and everything
00:19:31.50\00:19:34.34
that couldn't
be kept any longer,
00:19:34.37\00:19:36.91
didn't need to
being kept any longer
00:19:36.94\00:19:38.71
because it was shadows
00:19:38.74\00:19:40.38
and types of things to
come which Christ had fulfilled
00:19:40.41\00:19:44.28
and after the
destruction of the temple
00:19:44.31\00:19:45.88
they couldn't do it anyway.
00:19:45.91\00:19:48.22
The health laws
00:19:48.25\00:19:50.02
well, now those
remember were supplemental,
00:19:50.09\00:19:53.49
the health laws still apply.
00:19:53.56\00:19:56.02
We see that the health
laws were introduced first.
00:19:56.06\00:20:00.10
Some of the health laws
were introduced to Noah,
00:20:00.13\00:20:04.03
when there was a distinction
of the clean and unclean meat.
00:20:04.07\00:20:08.27
And we see that
the Ten Commandments
00:20:08.30\00:20:11.67
as Mollie aptly put it,
00:20:11.71\00:20:14.08
God says that
"I'm going to give them
00:20:14.14\00:20:16.01
a new covenant
00:20:16.04\00:20:17.41
and I will write My commandments
00:20:17.45\00:20:19.65
on their heart
and on their mind."
00:20:19.68\00:20:21.82
Salvation has always
been by grace through faith,
00:20:21.85\00:20:24.59
but obedience has been
an important expression
00:20:24.62\00:20:28.12
of our covenant
relationship with God.
00:20:28.16\00:20:30.73
That shows that we
love Him and we trust Him.
00:20:30.79\00:20:33.50
And when you think of,
sometimes I had somebody say,
00:20:33.56\00:20:37.80
"How can you say the
old covenant was salvation
00:20:37.83\00:20:41.20
by grace through faith."
00:20:41.24\00:20:43.00
Hey, the temple
was the remedy for sin
00:20:43.04\00:20:46.54
and the temple showed
00:20:46.61\00:20:48.78
the plan of God
salvation so perfectly,
00:20:48.81\00:20:52.18
but they could
only get into that,
00:20:52.21\00:20:55.32
that second or
the first compartment
00:20:55.35\00:20:57.92
of the holy place.
00:20:57.95\00:21:00.59
They could only get beyond
00:21:00.66\00:21:02.09
that once a year
into the Holy of Holies,
00:21:02.12\00:21:04.69
when Jesus died,
00:21:04.73\00:21:06.70
the veil in the
temple was torn in two.
00:21:06.73\00:21:10.13
We don't have to wait
for a high priest to go
00:21:10.17\00:21:12.50
in once a year for us,
00:21:12.53\00:21:15.20
but rather Jesus
opened a new and living way,
00:21:15.24\00:21:19.21
so that we can all,
00:21:19.24\00:21:21.11
we can go beyond
just a holy place.
00:21:21.14\00:21:26.08
Worship just a
holy place experience.
00:21:26.11\00:21:30.55
Now we can go right
before the presence of God
00:21:30.59\00:21:35.12
into the Holy of Holies
that kind of experience.
00:21:35.16\00:21:39.53
I think a lot
of us unfortunately
00:21:39.56\00:21:42.80
are still trying only to
live that holy place experience,
00:21:42.83\00:21:48.70
whereas Christ
calls us to come forward.
00:21:48.74\00:21:52.07
So there were so many
Jewish laws and regulations
00:21:52.11\00:21:55.51
and what Paul is
trying to show people
00:21:55.54\00:21:58.15
and we have to be careful
00:21:58.18\00:21:59.51
when we're talking
about the law of the Moses
00:21:59.55\00:22:01.68
or the book of the law,
00:22:01.72\00:22:03.05
we've to always read in
context to make certain,
00:22:03.08\00:22:06.15
as you're
reading Paul's writings
00:22:06.19\00:22:08.29
that you're not
trying to cast doubt
00:22:08.32\00:22:11.29
the moral law,
00:22:11.33\00:22:12.66
the Ten Commandments
00:22:12.69\00:22:14.00
because they are still
part of our new covenant,
00:22:14.10\00:22:17.33
but we have to
carefully read in context to see
00:22:17.37\00:22:21.54
what laws he is referring to.
00:22:21.57\00:22:24.27
John. Wow!
00:22:24.31\00:22:25.97
You know, when you
think about these laws
00:22:26.01\00:22:29.18
and ceremonial laws,
00:22:29.21\00:22:31.38
we often come to the
reality that as confusing
00:22:31.41\00:22:35.42
as it was for the early church.
00:22:35.45\00:22:37.85
Some of that confusion
is starting to resurface
00:22:37.89\00:22:40.52
in the Latter Day Church.
00:22:40.56\00:22:42.46
And that's why I want to address
00:22:42.49\00:22:44.13
this particular one,
00:22:44.19\00:22:46.13
would just
entitled as the custom was,
00:22:46.16\00:22:49.73
as the custom was.
00:22:49.76\00:22:51.10
As the custom of Moses.
00:22:51.13\00:22:52.47
As the custom
of Moses was. Yeah.
00:22:52.50\00:22:54.50
The customs and
traditions of Moses
00:22:54.54\00:22:58.97
and the Old Testament Church
00:22:59.01\00:23:01.91
often buttressed up
against the teachings of Jesus.
00:23:01.94\00:23:07.45
And we're gonna also find out
00:23:07.52\00:23:09.22
that as we look
at the controversies
00:23:09.25\00:23:13.36
that were handled by
the New Testament church,
00:23:13.39\00:23:16.83
we're gonna see
00:23:16.86\00:23:18.19
how some of those very
same controversies today
00:23:18.23\00:23:20.30
are now beginning to spill
over into the Latter Day Church.
00:23:20.33\00:23:23.43
Yes.
00:23:23.47\00:23:24.80
So as the wise man Solomon said,
00:23:24.83\00:23:26.80
"There's really
nothing new under the sun."
00:23:26.84\00:23:29.24
But I want to go and talk about
the customary teachings of,
00:23:29.27\00:23:35.21
one of the high
points was circumcision
00:23:35.24\00:23:38.41
because at the transit,
00:23:38.45\00:23:39.78
at the transitionary stage
00:23:39.81\00:23:41.15
between the rejection
of Christ and the inception
00:23:41.18\00:23:45.95
of the development
of the Christian Church,
00:23:45.99\00:23:48.42
the Jews were just so adamant
00:23:48.46\00:23:50.49
that certain
traditions should not die.
00:23:50.53\00:23:53.56
Now let's go to Acts 15:1,
00:23:53.60\00:23:55.86
I want to begin with one that
00:23:55.90\00:23:57.40
and I want to spend a
little time on this one
00:23:57.43\00:24:00.74
because it,
00:24:00.77\00:24:02.10
it popped up in
the Book of Acts,
00:24:02.14\00:24:05.04
in the Book of Romans,
00:24:05.07\00:24:06.41
in the Book of Galatians,
00:24:06.44\00:24:07.78
it continued just
to go over and over
00:24:07.81\00:24:09.18
and over and over again,
00:24:09.21\00:24:11.15
and this was very pertinent
to the Jewish male believers.
00:24:11.18\00:24:16.35
Acts 15:1,
00:24:16.38\00:24:18.79
"And certain men
came down from Judaea
00:24:18.82\00:24:22.82
and taught the brethren,
00:24:22.86\00:24:24.59
unless you're circumcised
00:24:24.63\00:24:26.33
according to
the custom of Moses,
00:24:26.36\00:24:28.76
you cannot be saved."
00:24:28.80\00:24:30.73
And so they, they
forced this issue recognizing
00:24:30.77\00:24:33.80
that in the ceremonial services,
00:24:33.84\00:24:35.90
circumcision was a rite,
00:24:35.94\00:24:37.91
circumcision was a necessity
00:24:37.94\00:24:40.34
because this was not
making the Jews exclusive,
00:24:40.38\00:24:45.18
but the preparation
for acceptance before God.
00:24:45.21\00:24:47.92
This was an act of faith
00:24:47.95\00:24:49.75
because the removal of the flesh
00:24:49.78\00:24:51.22
wasn't something
that made a person holy,
00:24:51.25\00:24:53.86
but because the
Lord required of them
00:24:53.92\00:24:55.52
just as he required Naaman
00:24:55.56\00:24:57.19
to dip seven
times in the Jordan,
00:24:57.23\00:25:00.13
it wasn't the first
time that wasn't sufficient,
00:25:00.16\00:25:02.90
but it was just the very act.
00:25:02.93\00:25:04.43
In the very same way,
00:25:04.47\00:25:05.80
when we're told
to anoint someone,
00:25:05.83\00:25:07.54
it's not the oil
that makes the difference.
00:25:07.57\00:25:09.67
It's the very act of
following what God commands.
00:25:09.70\00:25:12.81
And so the types
of the Old Testament,
00:25:12.84\00:25:15.18
when people were
willing to follow
00:25:15.21\00:25:16.54
what God commanded,
00:25:16.58\00:25:18.18
it brought them
00:25:18.21\00:25:19.55
into a covenant
relationship with Him,
00:25:19.58\00:25:21.62
but the Jews had become
00:25:21.65\00:25:22.98
so hung up on
the rites themselves.
00:25:23.02\00:25:25.12
They forgot what they meant.
00:25:25.15\00:25:26.49
They forgot that
it was a schoolmaster
00:25:26.52\00:25:27.96
leading them to
the coming Christ.
00:25:27.99\00:25:29.59
And so when
Jesus came, John 5:39,
00:25:29.62\00:25:32.89
standing with the Jewish leaders
00:25:32.93\00:25:35.03
and those who were so
astute in the writings of Moses,
00:25:35.06\00:25:40.80
they were
searching the scriptures
00:25:40.84\00:25:42.30
and there's the
Messiah standing there.
00:25:42.34\00:25:45.71
And he says,
00:25:45.74\00:25:47.08
"You search the
scriptures for in them
00:25:47.14\00:25:49.18
you think you have eternal life.
00:25:49.21\00:25:53.05
But these are they
which testify of me,
00:25:53.08\00:25:55.65
I'm right here.
00:25:55.68\00:25:57.05
You're looking for me
here, I'm right here."
00:25:57.09\00:25:59.22
They were so
hung upon the things
00:25:59.25\00:26:00.69
that they had understood.
00:26:00.72\00:26:02.06
They saw the Christ,
but they couldn't see Him.
00:26:02.09\00:26:04.76
Seeing they
will see Isaiah said,
00:26:04.79\00:26:06.23
"They'll not perceived hearing
00:26:06.26\00:26:08.06
they will hear
but not understand."
00:26:08.10\00:26:09.60
And so this
whole circumcision push
00:26:09.63\00:26:11.93
that it was necessary
to keep to be circumcised
00:26:11.97\00:26:15.74
to keep the law
was not pertinent
00:26:15.77\00:26:19.14
to the New Testament Church.
00:26:19.17\00:26:20.88
Look at 1 Corinthians 7:19,
00:26:20.91\00:26:23.24
Paul addresses this
00:26:23.28\00:26:24.61
and I'm gonna go to
Romans in just a moment
00:26:24.65\00:26:25.98
because the whole issue was
00:26:26.01\00:26:27.88
"Are you a Jew or
are you not a Jew?"
00:26:27.92\00:26:30.49
And today, we say,
"We are spiritual Israel."
00:26:30.52\00:26:33.36
And we're gonna talk
about that in just a moment.
00:26:33.39\00:26:37.53
1 Corinthians 7:19. Right.
00:26:37.56\00:26:41.06
Paul addresses not
the physical issues,
00:26:41.10\00:26:43.37
but the spiritual issues.
00:26:43.43\00:26:45.23
He says,
"Circumcision is nothing
00:26:45.27\00:26:48.14
and uncircumcision is nothing,
00:26:48.17\00:26:50.67
but keeping the
commandments of God
00:26:50.71\00:26:52.47
is what matters."
00:26:52.51\00:26:54.08
And so people today when
we talk about the Sabbath,
00:26:54.14\00:26:56.51
oftentimes, people say "Oh!
00:26:56.54\00:26:57.95
You're still
keeping that Jewish law."
00:26:57.98\00:27:00.55
You believe in
circumcision also.
00:27:00.58\00:27:02.38
No, what Paul is
in essence saying,
00:27:02.42\00:27:04.22
the circumcision that
is being talked about is,
00:27:04.25\00:27:07.59
is the
circumcision of the heart,
00:27:07.62\00:27:10.19
the condition of the heart.
00:27:10.26\00:27:11.83
Romans 2:28-29,
go there with me.
00:27:11.86\00:27:15.23
Romans 2:28 and
29, as you go there,
00:27:15.26\00:27:18.97
circumcision is
from the ceremonial law,
00:27:19.00\00:27:22.17
but the Sabbath is
from the moral law.
00:27:22.20\00:27:25.31
Yes.
00:27:25.34\00:27:26.68
Galatians 3:19 talked
about the law was added
00:27:26.71\00:27:29.71
because of transgression
till the seed should come.
00:27:29.74\00:27:32.51
But look at Romans 2:28 and 29,
00:27:32.55\00:27:35.72
the ceremonial
law was established
00:27:35.75\00:27:37.75
to lead us to Christ,
00:27:37.79\00:27:39.12
but Paul puts it
in the proper context.
00:27:39.15\00:27:41.92
Verse 28, "For he is not
a Jew who is one outwardly."
00:27:41.96\00:27:46.70
That was the big boast
00:27:46.73\00:27:48.63
"nor is circumcision
00:27:48.66\00:27:50.13
that which is
outward in the flesh,
00:27:50.17\00:27:53.07
but he is a Jew who
is one together inwardly
00:27:53.10\00:27:57.01
and circumcision
is that of the heart,
00:27:57.07\00:28:00.51
in the spirit not in the letter
00:28:00.54\00:28:02.78
whose praise is not from
man but from God, but from God."
00:28:02.81\00:28:07.58
That's why David,
even in the Old Testament,
00:28:07.65\00:28:09.88
living under the
ceremonial right David said
00:28:09.92\00:28:13.49
"Create in me a clean heart."
00:28:13.52\00:28:16.49
Because he knew
that the circumcision
00:28:16.52\00:28:17.99
didn't change his life,
what he needed was a new heart.
00:28:18.03\00:28:22.06
Ezekiel talked about that,
00:28:22.10\00:28:23.47
we talked about
the value of dry bones
00:28:23.50\00:28:24.93
"He'll give you a new
spirit and a new heart."
00:28:24.97\00:28:27.84
He's talking about
the inward condition,
00:28:27.87\00:28:30.04
but even more,
00:28:30.11\00:28:31.44
even more than this
and the issues today
00:28:31.47\00:28:34.18
and I talked about this,
00:28:34.21\00:28:35.54
I think I mentioned that
there are a lot of issues
00:28:35.58\00:28:36.91
the church is
dealing with today,
00:28:36.95\00:28:38.58
one is the divinity of Christ,
00:28:38.61\00:28:41.15
another one is how to
handle the word 'begotten'
00:28:41.18\00:28:44.55
whether Jesus was born
way a trillion years ago,
00:28:44.59\00:28:47.99
whether He was
begotten and I dealt with that
00:28:48.02\00:28:50.73
to really address the
issue because Isaac is referred
00:28:50.76\00:28:54.10
to as the only
begotten son of Abraham,
00:28:54.20\00:28:56.20
but we know he's not
the only begotten son.
00:28:56.23\00:28:58.60
And the word there
'begotten' in the Hebrew means
00:28:58.63\00:29:00.57
and also in the Greek,
00:29:00.60\00:29:01.94
the derivative
means 'the one preferred',
00:29:01.97\00:29:05.31
Jesus is the
preferred one, not the angels.
00:29:05.34\00:29:08.64
He's the preferred
one to reveal the father
00:29:08.68\00:29:11.35
not the begotten as and
born and then first on the scene
00:29:11.38\00:29:16.48
before all of
creation came into being.
00:29:16.52\00:29:19.15
But the issue that
I want to address now
00:29:19.19\00:29:21.59
as I transition in
the rest of my time
00:29:21.62\00:29:23.69
is Romans 3:23,
let's start there,
00:29:23.76\00:29:29.03
Romans 3:23,
00:29:29.06\00:29:31.10
because Paul
now is going to deal
00:29:31.13\00:29:33.23
with not the issue so much,
00:29:33.27\00:29:35.94
but the
attitudes about the issue.
00:29:35.97\00:29:39.44
Verse 27, Romans
3:27, I think I said 23.
00:29:39.47\00:29:44.25
Yeah.
00:29:44.28\00:29:45.61
I mean Romans 3:27,
"Where is boasting then?
00:29:45.65\00:29:50.59
It is excluded.
00:29:50.62\00:29:51.95
By what law?
00:29:51.99\00:29:53.36
Of works?
00:29:53.39\00:29:54.72
No, but by the law of faith."
00:29:54.76\00:29:57.23
What Paul goes on
to further address
00:29:57.26\00:30:00.80
is that there is
whatever the issue is,
00:30:00.83\00:30:05.50
God has established
a method and the means
00:30:05.53\00:30:07.94
whereby any
issue that we confront
00:30:07.97\00:30:10.47
must be handled.
00:30:10.51\00:30:12.04
A lot of times people say,
00:30:12.07\00:30:13.44
"Well, you can
get into the world."
00:30:13.48\00:30:14.81
This is your opinion, Pastor CA.
00:30:14.84\00:30:16.18
Well, this is your opinion,
Shelley and Mollie and Jill,
00:30:16.21\00:30:18.85
and this is my opinion
and let's leave it there.
00:30:18.88\00:30:20.68
No, the Lord established
a position of authority.
00:30:20.72\00:30:25.35
Go to Acts 15:6.
00:30:25.39\00:30:29.26
The Lord established
a position of authority
00:30:29.29\00:30:31.83
whereby all the issues,
00:30:31.86\00:30:33.96
today we're dealing with a 2520,
00:30:34.00\00:30:36.50
today we're dealing
with the feast days,
00:30:36.53\00:30:40.70
the issue of the
divinity of Christ
00:30:40.77\00:30:42.97
and the list goes on
and on and on and on.
00:30:43.00\00:30:44.67
Daniel 2, who was the stone
00:30:44.71\00:30:46.47
according to the Shepherd's Rod,
00:30:46.51\00:30:47.84
all these side issues,
00:30:47.88\00:30:49.58
whatever the controversy
is the Lord has said,
00:30:49.61\00:30:53.35
look at Acts 15:6
00:30:53.38\00:30:55.38
and I love the way that
that the lesson brings this out.
00:30:55.42\00:30:58.99
"Now the Apostles
and elders came together
00:30:59.02\00:31:03.06
to consider this matter."
00:31:03.09\00:31:04.99
So when you get a group
of individuals together,
00:31:05.03\00:31:08.06
Proverbs 11:14 says,
"Where there is no council,
00:31:08.10\00:31:10.93
the people fail or fall,
00:31:10.97\00:31:12.87
but in the multitude of
counselors there is what?"
00:31:12.90\00:31:15.57
Safety. "There's safety."
00:31:15.60\00:31:17.71
So there're individuals
that say and I've traveled
00:31:17.74\00:31:20.98
and we all have
traveled, we've been to places
00:31:21.01\00:31:22.68
where people say,
00:31:22.71\00:31:24.05
well, they don't like the issue
00:31:24.11\00:31:25.45
that the pastor is bringing up
00:31:25.48\00:31:26.82
or they don't like the
issue that is being talked about
00:31:26.85\00:31:28.82
in the Sabbath school lesson.
00:31:28.85\00:31:30.45
They're not
necessarily in harmony
00:31:30.49\00:31:31.82
with the General Conference.
00:31:31.85\00:31:33.82
They don't
believe that this is...
00:31:33.86\00:31:36.02
Some people even said to me,
00:31:36.06\00:31:37.59
"Well, we shouldn't
have pictures of Christ."
00:31:37.63\00:31:40.66
Or some people say it
should be 'Aamen not Amen'.
00:31:40.70\00:31:43.80
I mean, this is recent,
this is just a few months ago.
00:31:43.83\00:31:46.80
And I'm thinking what about
the righteousness of Jesus,
00:31:46.87\00:31:50.57
what about the
issue of salvation.
00:31:50.64\00:31:53.04
And so the
Judges brought this out
00:31:53.07\00:31:55.78
and this is not
new Judges 17:6 says,
00:31:55.81\00:31:58.61
"In those days there
was no king in Israel,
00:31:58.65\00:32:00.42
everyone did what was
right in his own eyes."
00:32:00.45\00:32:03.79
So here's what I'm
gonna recommend to you.
00:32:03.82\00:32:07.26
Paul says in 1
Thessalonians 5:12-13,
00:32:07.29\00:32:10.93
"Recognize those
who labor among you
00:32:10.96\00:32:13.13
and are over you in
the Lord and admonish you.
00:32:13.16\00:32:16.03
Esteem them very highly in
the law for their work sake,
00:32:16.06\00:32:20.44
be at peace among yourselves."
00:32:20.50\00:32:22.10
Whatever the issue,
submit it to the brethren.
00:32:22.14\00:32:25.44
If they see no
light in it, let it die.
00:32:25.47\00:32:29.11
And let Jesus Christ
00:32:29.14\00:32:30.51
and His righteousness
reign supreme in your life.
00:32:30.55\00:32:33.28
Amen. Amen.
00:32:33.31\00:32:34.65
Well said. Well said.
00:32:34.68\00:32:36.45
If we could follow that today,
00:32:36.48\00:32:37.85
I think we would be
in so much better shape.
00:32:37.89\00:32:40.12
I want to go back to
something that Mollie alluded to
00:32:40.16\00:32:43.12
in her
introduction to the lesson
00:32:43.16\00:32:46.13
and try to paint in
some very broad strokes.
00:32:46.16\00:32:49.00
Early on, we're talking
about the gentile believers.
00:32:49.03\00:32:54.10
Judaism was
indeed 'come and see'.
00:32:54.17\00:32:58.31
When the children of
Israel went to the sanctuary,
00:32:58.34\00:33:01.51
they're also going to school.
00:33:01.54\00:33:03.28
That's right.
00:33:03.35\00:33:04.68
The sanctuary was, it
served so many functions.
00:33:04.71\00:33:09.78
It was meeting place.
00:33:09.82\00:33:11.15
It was place of judgment.
00:33:11.19\00:33:12.52
But was also a
place of education.
00:33:12.55\00:33:13.96
Since you had people who
were by and large illiterate,
00:33:13.99\00:33:16.62
they had to learn
through symbols and signs.
00:33:16.66\00:33:18.73
And so they were
accustomed to relating to God
00:33:18.76\00:33:22.16
through what they could
see, what they could handle,
00:33:22.20\00:33:23.97
what they could intuit it
00:33:24.03\00:33:25.37
through their
eyes and their ears.
00:33:25.40\00:33:27.00
Christianity was
a whole new deal.
00:33:27.04\00:33:29.70
Your relationship with Christ
was done in a different way.
00:33:29.74\00:33:33.98
There is a tendency for us
to take something that is good
00:33:34.04\00:33:40.48
and defy it to
our own destruction.
00:33:40.52\00:33:43.45
We, for instance, in
numbers God told Moses
00:33:43.49\00:33:48.32
to avert this attack
of the fiery serpents,
00:33:48.36\00:33:51.53
put a snake on a
pole, look and live.
00:33:51.56\00:33:54.93
By the time we get
to Hezekiah and 2 Kings,
00:33:54.96\00:33:57.87
they're worshipping
that snake and pole.
00:33:57.90\00:34:00.84
So God tells Hezekiah,
00:34:00.87\00:34:02.64
you got to tear that thing down,
00:34:02.67\00:34:04.21
because instead of
being something good,
00:34:04.24\00:34:06.14
it is now a curse,
00:34:06.17\00:34:07.68
because they've
turned it into a God.
00:34:07.71\00:34:09.71
We tend to take
something that is good
00:34:09.74\00:34:11.68
and then turn it into
a representation of God,
00:34:11.71\00:34:15.08
which is why God wanted
nothing that you could bow down,
00:34:15.12\00:34:18.42
no statues, no pictures,
no icons, no triptychs,
00:34:18.45\00:34:21.69
because you will
worship that thing
00:34:21.72\00:34:24.66
instead of God.
00:34:24.69\00:34:26.03
And so here in
the New Testament,
00:34:26.06\00:34:27.76
you've got the same kind,
00:34:27.83\00:34:29.63
we need to go
back to the symbols
00:34:29.66\00:34:31.73
of what made us what we are.
00:34:31.77\00:34:33.10
We've got to be circumcised.
00:34:33.13\00:34:34.47
We've got the Law of Moses.
00:34:34.50\00:34:35.84
We have these kinds of things
00:34:35.87\00:34:37.21
and then we feel
comfortable in this.
00:34:37.27\00:34:40.04
This is that home for us.
00:34:40.08\00:34:41.41
This is very easy for us.
00:34:41.44\00:34:42.98
So now this Book of Romans
00:34:43.01\00:34:46.68
as we said before was
written about 55, 56 A.D,
00:34:46.72\00:34:50.65
about the same time
00:34:50.69\00:34:52.02
that the Gospels of Mark
and Matthew were written.
00:34:52.05\00:34:53.82
So you are very early,
00:34:53.86\00:34:56.22
you know, the Gospel of
John is out with until the '90s.
00:34:56.26\00:34:58.86
So you know, you're
really early in this thing.
00:34:58.89\00:35:01.10
So now the church is trying
00:35:01.13\00:35:02.46
to shape itself and shake itself
00:35:02.50\00:35:05.10
and develop
those kinds of things
00:35:05.13\00:35:07.27
that will move forward,
move the church forward.
00:35:07.34\00:35:10.11
So you've got a group of people
who are trying to bring things
00:35:10.14\00:35:12.94
that are comfortable with them.
00:35:12.97\00:35:14.31
And you find this
in many of the letters.
00:35:14.34\00:35:15.88
You know, we see in
Rome, we see in Galatia,
00:35:15.91\00:35:17.55
we see in other places,
00:35:17.58\00:35:19.55
they're trying to superimpose
Judaism on Christians.
00:35:19.58\00:35:24.09
So the question
is, "Do I get to Christ
00:35:24.12\00:35:27.06
as a Christian
going through Judaism?
00:35:27.09\00:35:28.92
Or do I get to Christ as a
Jew going through Christianity?"
00:35:28.96\00:35:32.66
And of course, since the church
00:35:32.69\00:35:34.10
is being
superintended by Jerusalem,
00:35:34.10\00:35:36.93
all of the structure,
00:35:36.97\00:35:38.33
the superstructure is
coming from Jerusalem.
00:35:38.37\00:35:41.07
So now it's
going back to Jerusalem
00:35:41.10\00:35:43.67
in what we call
the Jerusalem Council
00:35:43.71\00:35:45.61
to try to wrestle
with some of this stuff
00:35:45.64\00:35:48.01
and set and codify
some things that will guard
00:35:48.04\00:35:51.41
the new church,
00:35:51.45\00:35:52.78
the Adventist
church had this too.
00:35:52.81\00:35:54.62
We don't want any
credentials for our preachers,
00:35:54.65\00:35:59.35
just go and preach.
00:35:59.39\00:36:00.79
And then people began to preach
stuff that wasn't Adventism,
00:36:00.82\00:36:03.02
said, we got to do
something to kind of,
00:36:03.06\00:36:04.63
we know we've got to kind
of get a handle on this thing
00:36:04.66\00:36:06.49
because everybody's
preaching everything.
00:36:06.53\00:36:08.83
So we come back now
to the Jerusalem Council
00:36:08.86\00:36:11.20
which is wrestling with
the same kind of things.
00:36:11.23\00:36:14.40
What makes you Christian?
00:36:14.44\00:36:16.71
What do we need to bring
00:36:16.74\00:36:18.07
if anything from
Judaism into Christianity?
00:36:18.11\00:36:20.68
What burdens do we
need to place on the Jews?
00:36:20.71\00:36:23.48
And what do we need
to kind of just leave off
00:36:23.55\00:36:25.65
because it's
part of an old system?
00:36:25.68\00:36:27.42
And even today as you well said
and Shelley touched on it also.
00:36:27.45\00:36:31.82
Now we've got
people talking about,
00:36:31.85\00:36:33.46
do we need to keep the feast?
00:36:33.49\00:36:34.82
Do we need to do
other kinds of things?
00:36:34.86\00:36:36.36
Do we need to go
back into Judaism
00:36:36.39\00:36:38.16
which is kind of comfortable?
00:36:38.19\00:36:39.53
Or do we embrace
Christianity fully
00:36:39.56\00:36:41.66
and the grace of Christ therein?
00:36:41.70\00:36:45.00
So I'm in Acts 15,
00:36:45.03\00:36:47.30
and the lesson
asked the question,
00:36:47.34\00:36:50.77
what decision did
the council come to?
00:36:50.81\00:36:53.88
And what was the reasoning?"
00:36:53.94\00:36:55.78
Well, the decision
00:36:55.81\00:36:57.51
really is summed up in verse 11,
00:36:57.55\00:37:03.25
"But we believe
that through the grace
00:37:03.28\00:37:06.15
of the Lord Jesus Christ
00:37:06.19\00:37:08.06
we shall be saved in
the same manner as they."
00:37:08.09\00:37:11.56
That's the overarching principle
00:37:11.59\00:37:13.43
that everybody gets in
00:37:13.46\00:37:14.76
as you well intoned,
Shelley, a little bit ago.
00:37:14.83\00:37:16.97
Everybody gets in the same way.
00:37:17.00\00:37:19.10
There's no works for you
00:37:19.13\00:37:20.47
and grace for
me or grace for you
00:37:20.54\00:37:21.87
and works for me.
00:37:21.90\00:37:23.24
We all come in through
the grace of Jesus Christ.
00:37:23.27\00:37:25.21
We as Jews go in through grace,
the new Christians coming in,
00:37:25.24\00:37:28.88
the proselytes coming
in going through grace.
00:37:28.91\00:37:30.95
There is no other secret way,
00:37:30.98\00:37:32.58
that's the way
established by God.
00:37:32.61\00:37:34.45
Now they flesh that out
in the following verses,
00:37:34.48\00:37:37.75
but that's the basic decision
00:37:37.79\00:37:39.85
that Jews,
gentiles come to the Lord,
00:37:39.89\00:37:42.69
all come through
the grace of our Lord
00:37:42.72\00:37:44.73
and Savior Jesus Christ.
00:37:44.76\00:37:46.43
All right, James and
Peter were the lead spokesman
00:37:46.46\00:37:50.13
at this particular juncture.
00:37:50.17\00:37:53.30
Peter speaks, James speaks
00:37:53.34\00:37:54.97
and they come to a
number of decisions
00:37:55.00\00:37:57.67
that they bring to the people.
00:37:57.71\00:37:59.81
And time goes so fast.
00:37:59.84\00:38:01.24
So the decisions
00:38:01.28\00:38:03.38
or the fleshing
out of that decision
00:38:03.41\00:38:05.68
appears twice in Acts 15.
00:38:05.71\00:38:09.95
Let's look at Acts 15:19,
00:38:09.98\00:38:15.32
and then it is
repeated in verse 29,
00:38:15.36\00:38:17.16
and I look at
them both very quickly.
00:38:17.19\00:38:18.56
"Therefore, I judge that
we should not trouble those
00:38:18.59\00:38:22.26
from among the
gentiles who are turning to God,
00:38:22.30\00:38:25.57
but that we write to them
00:38:25.60\00:38:27.07
and to abstain from things
00:38:27.14\00:38:30.24
polluted by idols
or offered to idols
00:38:30.31\00:38:32.84
from sexual immorality,
00:38:32.87\00:38:34.91
from things
strangled and from blood."
00:38:34.94\00:38:37.91
Now we get the
repeat and ratification
00:38:37.95\00:38:40.45
of that suggestion in verse 29.
00:38:40.52\00:38:43.12
Just a little we
brings into, begins in 28,
00:38:46.42\00:38:48.72
but it's actually
stated in verse 29.
00:38:48.76\00:38:51.03
"That you abstain from
things offered to idols,
00:38:51.06\00:38:54.00
from blood and
from things strangled
00:38:54.00\00:38:57.27
and from sexual immorality.
00:38:57.33\00:38:59.47
If you keep yourself from these,
00:38:59.50\00:39:02.27
you will do well."
00:39:02.30\00:39:03.74
You know that's enough,
you know, that's enough.
00:39:03.77\00:39:06.91
You know, we learned in
looking at Jewish history
00:39:06.94\00:39:10.48
along with the Ten Commandments
and the Law of Moses,
00:39:10.51\00:39:12.58
it had about 7,000
additional laws that they had,
00:39:12.61\00:39:15.32
you know, you got to watch
00:39:15.35\00:39:16.72
seven times up to
the elbow and all,
00:39:16.75\00:39:18.09
you know, all
kinds of little things.
00:39:18.12\00:39:19.45
So they took what was
intended to be a blessing
00:39:19.49\00:39:21.82
and made it a
burden and a curse.
00:39:21.86\00:39:23.39
And so they want to
now drop this burden
00:39:23.46\00:39:25.49
on to the New
Testament Christians,
00:39:25.53\00:39:27.23
and the council is
saying that's too much.
00:39:27.23\00:39:30.17
I like this little thing
that we see in Acts 15:10,
00:39:30.20\00:39:35.57
where Peter
speaking and he says,
00:39:35.60\00:39:37.51
"You know, we are
trying to put on them a yoke
00:39:37.54\00:39:38.94
that we couldn't even carry."
00:39:38.97\00:39:40.31
You know, we're trying to
drop a lot of weight on them
00:39:40.38\00:39:42.31
that we could
not carry ourselves.
00:39:42.34\00:39:43.78
And of course, he's not talking
about the Ten Commandments,
00:39:43.85\00:39:45.95
he's talking about the
additional body of laws
00:39:45.98\00:39:51.35
that they put on top of that,
00:39:51.39\00:39:52.79
you know, 3,000
steps on the Sabbath.
00:39:52.82\00:39:54.62
And, you know, you're
just, you're going crazy
00:39:54.66\00:39:56.73
trying to deal
with all of the stuff
00:39:56.76\00:39:58.56
and contort yourself
00:39:58.59\00:39:59.93
into all of
these kinds of things.
00:40:00.00\00:40:01.30
So he's saying
let's simplify it.
00:40:01.33\00:40:02.76
There're some basic things
that we need to go through.
00:40:02.80\00:40:05.40
The lesson makes it plainer
00:40:05.43\00:40:06.80
and does it in kind
of a cute way, it says.
00:40:06.84\00:40:08.37
You know, it doesn't
mention the Ten Commandments
00:40:08.40\00:40:11.04
because that's kind of a given.
00:40:11.07\00:40:12.74
You know, there
are certain things
00:40:12.77\00:40:14.58
we don't need to talk about.
00:40:14.61\00:40:15.94
When you talk about the Sabbath
for Seventh-day Adventists
00:40:15.98\00:40:18.81
is part of our name,
we don't really have to,
00:40:18.85\00:40:21.82
I say, John, you got
to keep your Sabbath.
00:40:21.85\00:40:23.22
Well, you knew that when
you came out of the water.
00:40:23.25\00:40:24.69
You know,
there're certain things
00:40:24.72\00:40:26.05
you don't have to
talk about anymore.
00:40:26.09\00:40:27.42
So it's not there
because it's not necessary,
00:40:27.46\00:40:31.03
what is necessary is do we
add all of this extra stuff,
00:40:31.06\00:40:34.36
or do we not add
all of this extra stuff?
00:40:34.40\00:40:37.10
And the decision was made
00:40:37.13\00:40:38.93
that we don't add
all of these things.
00:40:38.97\00:40:41.77
We don't make, try to
make Christians, Jews,
00:40:41.80\00:40:45.47
before they come to Christ.
00:40:45.51\00:40:46.84
They can come
directly to Christ.
00:40:46.91\00:40:48.24
And I think what Mollie said
00:40:48.28\00:40:49.64
is so very, very important
in the set up of the lesson
00:40:49.68\00:40:52.61
is that now we have
the example of Jesus.
00:40:52.65\00:40:56.18
The Book of Hebrews was
written to Jewish Christians
00:40:56.22\00:40:59.15
to tell them that
when you got Jesus,
00:40:59.19\00:41:01.19
you've got all you need.
00:41:01.22\00:41:03.06
And John did the same
thing in the Book of John.
00:41:03.09\00:41:05.66
When you've got Jesus,
when you've got the Word,
00:41:05.69\00:41:08.40
you've got all you need.
00:41:08.43\00:41:10.17
You don't need anything else.
00:41:10.23\00:41:11.57
This is enough to get
you from earth to heaven.
00:41:11.60\00:41:14.04
And all of these
extra things are manmade
00:41:14.10\00:41:17.07
and as such unnecessary
00:41:17.11\00:41:19.67
for the New Testament Christian.
00:41:19.71\00:41:23.31
So we can be at
peace and at rest
00:41:23.35\00:41:26.25
that if we love the
Lord, if we serve Him
00:41:26.28\00:41:28.62
and, of course, I
could spend some time
00:41:28.65\00:41:30.05
talking about
blood in the reason
00:41:30.09\00:41:31.85
though that's part of
the mosaic body of work,
00:41:31.89\00:41:35.99
it becomes important
00:41:36.02\00:41:37.39
and comes through
to the New Testament
00:41:37.43\00:41:38.86
because it was
the blood of Christ
00:41:38.89\00:41:40.30
that cleanse us from our sins.
00:41:40.36\00:41:42.06
So there was that sort
of grandfathered in portion,
00:41:42.10\00:41:45.90
to this whole thing,
but it's a fabulous study.
00:41:45.93\00:41:48.14
They had to make
some rules and laws,
00:41:48.17\00:41:50.54
so that the church could grow,
and at the Jerusalem Council
00:41:50.57\00:41:53.41
those rules and
laws were laid down
00:41:53.44\00:41:55.31
which were important
00:41:55.34\00:41:56.68
because just 15
or so years later,
00:41:56.71\00:41:58.95
Jerusalem as a
city was in ruined
00:41:58.98\00:42:00.92
and everybody kind of
had to stand on their own
00:42:00.95\00:42:04.09
and the church had
to grow on its own.
00:42:04.12\00:42:05.92
But these basic laws of
how the church is gonna grow
00:42:05.95\00:42:09.62
and what Christians need to do
00:42:09.66\00:42:11.09
were established here
at the Jerusalem Council.
00:42:11.13\00:42:13.09
Amen. Well said
Pastor CA. Thank you so much.
00:42:13.13\00:42:16.53
I want to look at one verse
00:42:16.56\00:42:17.90
and then my
study is on Thursday,
00:42:17.93\00:42:20.00
it's Paul and the Galatians.
00:42:20.04\00:42:21.37
So we'd go to
Galatians, but before we do that
00:42:21.40\00:42:23.30
and we're still in Acts,
00:42:23.37\00:42:24.71
just jump back a
couple of chapters,
00:42:24.74\00:42:26.31
this verse popped in my head
00:42:26.34\00:42:28.08
when you were
talking, Pastor CA.
00:42:28.11\00:42:30.51
Acts 4, and we know
Peter and John were arrested
00:42:30.55\00:42:34.52
and then they
addressed the Sanhedrin.
00:42:34.55\00:42:36.02
Now we're in Acts 4:12,
00:42:36.05\00:42:39.22
"Nor is there a
salvation in any other,
00:42:39.25\00:42:42.22
for there is no
other name under heaven
00:42:42.26\00:42:45.16
given among men
whereby we must be saved."
00:42:45.19\00:42:48.73
Amen. That's right.
00:42:48.76\00:42:50.10
And so this is really
the crux of the matter
00:42:50.13\00:42:51.73
of what Paul is addressing
00:42:51.77\00:42:53.10
both to the Roman Church
and to the Galatians Church,
00:42:53.13\00:42:56.00
and my portion of the lesson
00:42:56.04\00:42:57.37
deals with what
happened in Galatia,
00:42:57.44\00:43:00.58
and Paul's counsel
to the Galatians Church.
00:43:00.61\00:43:02.68
But the issue at the
heart, at the core of it,
00:43:02.71\00:43:06.72
was how are we saved?
00:43:06.75\00:43:08.65
Is this salvation by faith,
00:43:08.68\00:43:10.29
the blood of Jesus
plus these other works,
00:43:10.32\00:43:12.62
plus these ceremonial
laws as you stated so well,
00:43:12.65\00:43:15.79
plus these other
things that were added?
00:43:15.82\00:43:18.53
Or is it just salvation
by faith in Christ alone?
00:43:18.56\00:43:23.63
And Paul's answer is resounding
yes, salvation by faith alone,
00:43:23.67\00:43:27.24
justification by faith alone.
00:43:27.30\00:43:29.27
That's not to push
away the Ten Commandment law
00:43:29.30\00:43:32.91
and, of course, the
moral law is still in effect,
00:43:32.94\00:43:34.91
that's not to push
away sanctification by faith
00:43:34.94\00:43:37.75
because Romans 6 and 8,
00:43:37.78\00:43:39.51
especially, talk about
that in the work of the Spirit.
00:43:39.55\00:43:42.42
Now let's jump
over to Galatians.
00:43:42.45\00:43:44.09
Galatians 1, and this is
after the Jerusalem Council,
00:43:44.15\00:43:49.46
was that in 1849, Pastor?
00:43:49.49\00:43:52.83
'49, '50. '49, '50.
00:43:52.86\00:43:54.56
Okay, the Jerusalem Council
00:43:54.56\00:43:55.90
that took place
there in Acts 15.
00:43:55.93\00:43:58.30
After that Jerusalem Council,
00:43:58.33\00:44:02.30
we look at Galatians 1,
let's take a look at this.
00:44:02.34\00:44:06.61
Now we talked about
on a previous lesson
00:44:06.68\00:44:08.88
how Paul was a little stronger
to the Galatians brethren
00:44:08.91\00:44:12.75
when he wrote to them
than to the Church at Rome,
00:44:12.78\00:44:16.28
we're in Galatians 1,
00:44:16.32\00:44:17.65
we'll look at the
first 10 verses or so.
00:44:17.69\00:44:19.45
"Paul, an apostle not from men,
00:44:19.49\00:44:23.36
not sent by
humans nor through man,
00:44:23.43\00:44:26.49
not appointed by humans,
00:44:26.53\00:44:28.60
but through Jesus
Christ and God, the Father..."
00:44:28.63\00:44:31.60
God met him on
that road to Damascus
00:44:31.63\00:44:34.57
and called him at
that time to be an apostle.
00:44:34.60\00:44:38.34
"Who raised him from
the dead and all the..."
00:44:38.37\00:44:40.74
Verse 2, "And all the brethren
00:44:40.78\00:44:42.24
who are with me to the
churches here of Galatia."
00:44:42.28\00:44:44.75
Paul's saying,
"I'm writing to you
00:44:44.78\00:44:46.18
and what I'm going to
be writing to you about,
00:44:46.21\00:44:48.22
I have the
backing of the brethren."
00:44:48.25\00:44:50.29
The Church of Jerusalem Council,
00:44:50.35\00:44:52.55
they have my back.
00:44:52.59\00:44:54.06
The decision was made
00:44:54.12\00:44:56.12
and the lesson
brought this point out
00:44:56.16\00:44:57.49
which I thought was really good
00:44:57.53\00:44:59.26
and the decision was
made at the Jerusalem Council.
00:44:59.29\00:45:01.96
But even though
the decision was made,
00:45:02.00\00:45:04.07
there were some
people within the church
00:45:04.10\00:45:06.50
who decided namely
the Judaizers who decided,
00:45:06.53\00:45:09.80
"We're not going to abide
00:45:09.84\00:45:11.17
by the decision of
the Jerusalem Council.
00:45:11.21\00:45:13.38
We're going to
teach the gentiles,
00:45:13.41\00:45:15.68
we're going to teach
the new Christian believers
00:45:15.71\00:45:18.61
that they still
have to be circumcised,
00:45:18.65\00:45:20.52
that there still has to be
00:45:20.55\00:45:21.88
this justification
by faith plus works,
00:45:21.92\00:45:24.49
that they still have to uphold
to all those ceremonial laws."
00:45:24.52\00:45:27.89
So Paul kind of
gets upset about this
00:45:27.92\00:45:29.82
because he says,
"It was already decided
00:45:29.86\00:45:31.33
and the church decided.
00:45:31.36\00:45:32.69
You don't have to hold to that."
00:45:32.73\00:45:34.20
Verse 3, "Grace to you and peace
00:45:34.20\00:45:36.30
from God, the Father
and Our Lord Jesus Christ
00:45:36.33\00:45:40.10
who gave Himself for our sins
00:45:40.14\00:45:42.44
that He might deliver us
from this present evil age,
00:45:42.47\00:45:46.04
that age beginning with Adam
00:45:46.07\00:45:48.14
all the way down
through the ages,
00:45:48.18\00:45:50.85
according to the
will of our God and Father
00:45:50.91\00:45:53.08
to whom be glory
forever and ever.
00:45:53.11\00:45:54.72
Amen."
00:45:54.75\00:45:56.08
Then verse 6, he says,
"I marvel or I am amazed,
00:45:56.12\00:46:01.36
I am awestruck."
00:46:01.39\00:46:03.46
It shows his deep
displeasure you could say.
00:46:03.49\00:46:07.13
"I'm amazed that
you are turning away
00:46:07.13\00:46:11.37
so soon from Him
00:46:11.40\00:46:14.14
who called you in
the grace of Christ
00:46:14.17\00:46:15.60
to a different gospel.
00:46:15.64\00:46:17.24
Now I want to stop a
second at that verse.
00:46:17.31\00:46:19.47
He says "I'm
amazed, I can't believe it,
00:46:19.51\00:46:22.08
you knew the gospel
00:46:22.11\00:46:23.98
and now all of a
sudden you are turning away."
00:46:24.05\00:46:27.15
Now in the Greek,
it's present tense,
00:46:27.22\00:46:29.15
meaning this apostasy is
still going on right there.
00:46:29.18\00:46:32.59
They're currently in
the process of turning away
00:46:32.62\00:46:36.46
from what he
had preached to them
00:46:36.49\00:46:38.16
tell what the
Judaizers were teaching.
00:46:38.19\00:46:41.00
"They turned
away so soon from Him
00:46:41.03\00:46:43.13
who called you in
the grace of Christ
00:46:43.16\00:46:44.73
to a different gospel."
00:46:44.77\00:46:46.20
Now the word different in Greek,
00:46:46.23\00:46:47.90
there's a couple of words
00:46:47.94\00:46:49.27
that could mean
different or another.
00:46:49.30\00:46:50.77
We have allos, we have heteros.
00:46:50.81\00:46:53.84
Now 'allos' means
another of the same quality.
00:46:53.88\00:46:59.51
In the Gospel of John,
00:46:59.55\00:47:01.08
when Jesus
referred to the Holy Spirit,
00:47:01.12\00:47:03.28
He said "I'm going away.
00:47:03.32\00:47:04.92
it's expedient, that I go away,
00:47:04.95\00:47:06.82
I will send you another
Helper or another Comforter."
00:47:06.89\00:47:10.16
The word 'another'
in that verse is allos,
00:47:10.19\00:47:13.43
meaning another of the
same identical quality.
00:47:13.46\00:47:17.50
He said "I'm going away,
00:47:17.57\00:47:19.33
but I'm sending you someone else
00:47:19.37\00:47:20.74
who's just like
me, identical to me."
00:47:20.77\00:47:24.01
In this case, he
doesn't use the word allos
00:47:24.04\00:47:26.54
for a different gospel,
00:47:26.57\00:47:27.98
he uses the word 'heteros'
00:47:28.01\00:47:30.35
which means another
of a different quality,
00:47:30.38\00:47:34.42
kind of like you
think of the gold rush.
00:47:34.45\00:47:36.89
They went out to
California looking for gold
00:47:36.92\00:47:38.72
and you're looking "I got gold."
00:47:38.75\00:47:40.86
And then all of a sudden,
it's a different quality.
00:47:40.89\00:47:43.53
It might be fool's
gold or a different type,
00:47:43.56\00:47:46.93
but it's not the same quality.
00:47:47.00\00:47:48.60
So it's interesting to me
00:47:48.63\00:47:49.96
that Paul uses
that to me in essence
00:47:50.03\00:47:52.47
what he's saying
is that the gospel
00:47:52.50\00:47:53.84
that the
Judaizers are teaching you
00:47:53.90\00:47:55.70
is not on par with the
gospel that I'm teaching.
00:47:55.74\00:47:59.31
It's not on par with the gospel
00:47:59.34\00:48:01.11
that the Lord
Jesus Christ taught us.
00:48:01.14\00:48:03.24
This is an inferior gospel,
00:48:03.28\00:48:05.38
almost a
different quality gospel."
00:48:05.41\00:48:07.65
Verse 7, "Which is not another,
00:48:07.68\00:48:10.45
but there're
some who trouble you
00:48:10.52\00:48:13.12
and want to pervert
the gospel of Christ."
00:48:13.15\00:48:16.32
Those who're
troubling the Galatians Church
00:48:16.36\00:48:18.16
was the Judaizers,
00:48:18.19\00:48:19.59
trying to say "You
had to be circumcised.
00:48:19.63\00:48:22.13
You had to keep
00:48:22.16\00:48:23.50
all of the
ceremonial aspect of the law."
00:48:23.57\00:48:26.74
"And they thereby trouble you
00:48:26.77\00:48:29.57
and want to pervert
the gospel of Christ,
00:48:29.60\00:48:32.41
wanted to turn the true gospel
into a gospel of the law."
00:48:32.44\00:48:37.15
Paul received his gospel
from the Lord Jesus Christ.
00:48:37.18\00:48:39.75
Verse 8, "But even if
we are an angel from heaven
00:48:39.78\00:48:42.65
preach any other gospel to you
00:48:42.68\00:48:44.72
than what we
have preached to you,
00:48:44.75\00:48:46.32
let him be accursed."
00:48:46.35\00:48:48.26
He said "Don't turn
at all from the gospel
00:48:48.29\00:48:51.16
that you have
originally received.
00:48:51.19\00:48:53.43
As we have said
before, so now I say again,
00:48:53.50\00:48:55.76
if anyone preaches
any other gospel to you
00:48:55.80\00:48:58.20
than what you have
received, let him be accursed."
00:48:58.23\00:49:00.87
He reiterates it
there for emphasis.
00:49:00.90\00:49:03.00
Verse 10, "For do I
now persuade men or God?
00:49:03.04\00:49:08.04
Or do I seek to please men
for if I still pleased men,
00:49:08.08\00:49:13.21
I would not be a
bondservant of Christ.
00:49:13.25\00:49:17.32
If I still pleased men,
00:49:17.35\00:49:18.69
I would not be a
bondservant of Christ."
00:49:18.72\00:49:21.26
He says, "Do I
now persuade men?"
00:49:21.29\00:49:23.76
In the Greek the
word 'now' comes first.
00:49:23.79\00:49:26.13
Now do I seek to persuade men?
00:49:26.16\00:49:29.63
Do I seek to gain
the approval of others?
00:49:29.66\00:49:32.13
It reminds me remember when...
00:49:32.17\00:49:35.17
This is in Matthew 14,
00:49:35.20\00:49:38.27
remember when
Herodias came and danced
00:49:38.31\00:49:41.04
and he said, "What
should I give to you?"
00:49:41.08\00:49:44.35
And she went and
conferred with her mother
00:49:44.38\00:49:46.15
and her mother said okay.
00:49:46.18\00:49:48.35
Salome, I'm sorry
Herodias daughter,
00:49:48.38\00:49:50.82
I knew I had that wrong.
00:49:50.89\00:49:52.22
So Salome went and danced
00:49:52.25\00:49:53.76
and then he said
"What do you want?"
00:49:53.79\00:49:55.76
And then she went
to her mother Herodias
00:49:55.79\00:49:57.93
and she said,
"Bring me the head of John
00:49:57.96\00:49:59.29
the Baptist on the charger."
00:49:59.33\00:50:00.70
Well and we won't turn
to it, but in Matthew 14:9,
00:50:00.73\00:50:03.67
what does the Bible say?
00:50:03.73\00:50:05.07
It says because
of those who sat,
00:50:05.10\00:50:08.57
he decided to go ahead
and allow the beheading,
00:50:08.60\00:50:13.11
the killing of John the Baptist.
00:50:13.14\00:50:15.14
So because of
influence of other people,
00:50:15.18\00:50:18.38
because of those who
sat with him at the table
00:50:18.41\00:50:20.78
and Paul says, "I don't
care what anyone else says.
00:50:20.82\00:50:24.32
I don't care what
anyone else preaches.
00:50:24.35\00:50:27.36
I am preaching to you the gospel
00:50:27.42\00:50:30.93
that was delivered
to us from Jesus Christ,
00:50:30.96\00:50:32.83
that gospel of
justification by faith."
00:50:32.86\00:50:36.06
Just in closing here,
00:50:36.10\00:50:37.43
now in Paul's letter
to Galatians and Romans,
00:50:37.50\00:50:41.37
he's very clear and each
one of you brought this out
00:50:41.40\00:50:44.37
that we're not
talking about the moral law,
00:50:44.41\00:50:46.47
we're not talking about
the Ten Commandments law,
00:50:46.51\00:50:49.14
because he says in Romans 3:28,
" A man is justified by faith
00:50:49.18\00:50:52.75
apart from the
deeds of the law."
00:50:52.78\00:50:54.32
But then in verse 31, he says
"Are we making void the law?
00:50:54.35\00:50:57.42
God forbid: we
establish the law."
00:50:57.45\00:51:00.66
So he's not making void the law,
00:51:00.69\00:51:02.92
but he's talking
about the importance,
00:51:02.96\00:51:04.83
the primacy of justification
00:51:04.86\00:51:07.50
we are saved by
grace through faith.
00:51:07.60\00:51:10.03
And you know, I
just wanted to share,
00:51:10.07\00:51:11.40
I brought my Bible, I
just uncovered this Bible.
00:51:11.43\00:51:15.00
I don't know if
you can see this.
00:51:15.04\00:51:16.91
This is a Bible that I received
when I was six years old.
00:51:16.97\00:51:21.11
My mom and dad gave to me.
00:51:21.14\00:51:22.81
It's an NIV Children's Bible.
00:51:22.84\00:51:24.95
And I just want
to open it up here
00:51:24.98\00:51:26.88
and see if I can open it.
00:51:26.92\00:51:31.12
And I remember as a little
kid probably six, seven, eight,
00:51:31.15\00:51:34.22
I don't know if you
can see that or not.
00:51:34.26\00:51:36.62
Six, seven, eight,
00:51:36.69\00:51:38.23
you know, the book
that I studied the most,
00:51:38.26\00:51:40.96
this is the Book of Romans.
00:51:41.00\00:51:43.70
And now I have no
idea what the colors mean.
00:51:43.73\00:51:46.43
There's orange,
there's blue, there's yellow,
00:51:46.47\00:51:49.00
there's all of that.
00:51:49.04\00:51:50.37
But I remember even as
a child being so excited.
00:51:50.44\00:51:54.38
God wanted to talk to us.
00:51:54.41\00:51:56.34
Amen. That's right.
00:51:56.38\00:51:57.71
The power in the Word of God,
00:51:57.75\00:51:59.81
so excited reading
the Book of Romans,
00:51:59.85\00:52:02.22
learning about
justification by faith,
00:52:02.25\00:52:05.19
learning about
sanctification by faith,
00:52:05.22\00:52:08.02
learning that, in spite
of all this controversy,
00:52:08.06\00:52:10.93
and even as a kid, I
didn't understand all that
00:52:10.96\00:52:12.76
about the controversy and stuff.
00:52:12.79\00:52:14.10
But the concepts, the principles
00:52:14.20\00:52:16.43
that we are saved
by grace through faith,
00:52:16.46\00:52:18.97
I learned as a little kid
00:52:19.00\00:52:20.50
and that carried me a long ways.
00:52:20.54\00:52:22.04
Well.
00:52:22.07\00:52:23.41
You know, Jill, that
is absolutely beautiful
00:52:23.47\00:52:25.21
and I'm
thinking of Martin Luther
00:52:25.24\00:52:27.61
made a statement
concerning the Book of Romans.
00:52:27.64\00:52:29.81
He says, "The epistle
is really the chief part
00:52:29.84\00:52:33.11
of the New Testament
00:52:33.15\00:52:34.92
and the very purest gospel."
00:52:34.95\00:52:37.62
He went on to say that
"Every Christian should know it
00:52:37.65\00:52:40.82
word by word by heart
00:52:40.86\00:52:43.06
as the daily
bread for your soul."
00:52:43.09\00:52:45.16
So let us encourage you
to study next week's lesson.
00:52:45.19\00:52:49.63
We'll be back same
place, same channel,
00:52:49.66\00:52:52.60
next week at the same time
00:52:52.63\00:52:54.30
and we want you to
have studied your lesson,
00:52:54.34\00:52:56.94
but I want each one of
you to have a moment now
00:52:56.97\00:52:59.57
to share some concerning
this justification by faith,
00:52:59.61\00:53:04.48
righteousness by
faith, those Judaizers,
00:53:04.51\00:53:07.15
you know what they were
saying, they were saying
00:53:07.22\00:53:09.85
"Faith in the Lord
Jesus Christ plus something."
00:53:09.88\00:53:12.79
It's not plus anything.
00:53:12.82\00:53:14.69
It's just it's righteousness
00:53:14.72\00:53:17.13
by the shed blood of
the Lord Jesus Christ,
00:53:17.16\00:53:19.39
He and He alone.
00:53:19.43\00:53:20.80
What do you think
about that, Pastor Lomacang?
00:53:20.83\00:53:22.43
Well, if there
were any other way,
00:53:22.46\00:53:24.47
then the Bible wouldn't
say there's no other name.
00:53:24.50\00:53:28.00
Jesus Himself
said, "I am the Way,
00:53:28.04\00:53:30.11
the truth and the life."
00:53:30.17\00:53:31.81
He says, "No one
comes to the Father
00:53:31.84\00:53:34.31
except through me."
00:53:34.34\00:53:35.81
So whenever we add anything
00:53:35.84\00:53:37.78
well, but, but, I say this,
00:53:37.81\00:53:43.79
the Sabbath will be
kept by those who are saved,
00:53:43.85\00:53:46.52
but the Sabbath cannot save you.
00:53:46.55\00:53:48.02
That's right.
00:53:48.06\00:53:49.39
The Commandments of God
00:53:49.42\00:53:50.79
will be kept by those who
are in a saving relationship,
00:53:50.83\00:53:52.83
but the Commandments
alone cannot save you.
00:53:52.86\00:53:55.06
A good diet
will be a way of life
00:53:55.10\00:53:57.57
for those who are
walking with Christ,
00:53:57.60\00:53:59.30
recognizing their body temple,
00:53:59.33\00:54:01.00
but don't ever
equate that to salvation.
00:54:01.04\00:54:03.54
Salvation is by grace,
00:54:03.61\00:54:05.07
grace through
faith in Christ alone.
00:54:05.11\00:54:06.68
Amen. Amen.
00:54:06.71\00:54:08.04
Shelley?
00:54:08.08\00:54:09.41
You know, I was just thinking
the considerable thoughts
00:54:09.44\00:54:11.48
rolling around in my head,
00:54:11.51\00:54:12.85
but I was thinking about
when God created the sanctuary.
00:54:12.88\00:54:16.92
You were talking about
'come and see' religion.
00:54:16.99\00:54:19.12
It was the theology of
grace in physical form,
00:54:19.15\00:54:23.66
I mean where they
could actually see
00:54:23.73\00:54:26.33
and he was trying to get them
where they would understand,
00:54:26.36\00:54:29.80
they couldn't be
good enough to be saved.
00:54:29.83\00:54:34.00
I mean they knew
for sins, atonement,
00:54:34.04\00:54:37.37
they had to go there.
00:54:37.41\00:54:39.24
Well, Jesus is also
the theology of grace
00:54:39.27\00:54:42.11
in physical form
00:54:42.14\00:54:43.51
and He came
00:54:43.55\00:54:44.88
and when He
introduced the new covenant,
00:54:44.91\00:54:48.08
what makes it so much
more a better covenant
00:54:48.12\00:54:52.39
is that Hebrews 7:22 says,
00:54:52.42\00:54:54.59
"He is the
surety of the covenant."
00:54:54.62\00:54:58.03
So He then is our
promise or God's promise to us
00:54:58.06\00:55:04.17
that all of His
promises are ours in Christ,
00:55:04.20\00:55:07.14
but He's our promise to God
00:55:07.17\00:55:09.10
that He's gonna work in
us to do well and to do.
00:55:09.14\00:55:11.67
He stands before God and says
00:55:11.71\00:55:13.17
"Yep, I'm going to
bring them to completion,
00:55:13.21\00:55:16.95
I'm going to bring
them to perfection."
00:55:16.98\00:55:19.38
So if we ever attempt
as Paul told the Galatians,
00:55:19.41\00:55:23.82
"For those who attempt to be
saved by works of the law..."
00:55:23.89\00:55:30.23
Galatians 5:4, I think it is
"You're estranged from Christ,
00:55:30.26\00:55:33.50
if you're trying
to save yourself."
00:55:33.53\00:55:35.76
You know, you've
fallen from grace.
00:55:35.80\00:55:38.17
It can't be works plus grace.
00:55:38.20\00:55:41.20
There's one or the other.
00:55:41.24\00:55:42.57
That's right.
00:55:42.60\00:55:43.97
Pastor CA?
00:55:44.01\00:55:45.34
It occurs to me that if
you try to add to Jesus,
00:55:45.37\00:55:48.94
use a track from His sacrifice
and the power of Jesus,
00:55:48.98\00:55:53.42
it has to be
Jesus and Jesus only,
00:55:53.48\00:55:56.35
which is why Paul said,
"I'm not ashamed of the gospel.
00:55:56.38\00:55:58.55
There's nothing
to be ashamed of,
00:55:58.59\00:55:59.92
I'm not apologizing for this,
00:55:59.95\00:56:01.36
for it is the power
of God unto salvation.
00:56:01.39\00:56:03.99
It's Jesus plus
nothing equals everything."
00:56:04.06\00:56:08.00
Amen. Well said.
00:56:08.03\00:56:09.60
Jill?
00:56:09.63\00:56:10.97
Just a scripture, Romans 5:1,
00:56:11.00\00:56:12.83
"Therefore having
been justified by faith,
00:56:12.87\00:56:15.74
we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ."
00:56:15.77\00:56:18.97
We've been
talking this whole lesson
00:56:19.01\00:56:20.38
about the controversy
00:56:20.41\00:56:21.74
that's taking
place within the church,
00:56:21.78\00:56:23.55
and I think the
first place to go
00:56:23.58\00:56:25.78
to have peace with God
00:56:25.81\00:56:27.15
and with each other is to come
before Him and be justified.
00:56:27.22\00:56:30.09
Amen. Amen. That's
right. That's right.
00:56:30.12\00:56:31.45
Well, we looked at
the controversy today
00:56:31.49\00:56:34.06
that was in that early church
00:56:34.09\00:56:35.42
and Paul's
attempts to bring remedy
00:56:35.46\00:56:38.33
which he did a wonderful job.
00:56:38.36\00:56:39.83
Something we're
seeing it's the same issues
00:56:39.86\00:56:42.36
that they were dealing
within the early church,
00:56:42.40\00:56:44.60
we're dealing
within the church today.
00:56:44.63\00:56:47.10
Thank God that the Gospel
00:56:47.14\00:56:48.94
of the Lord Jesus
Christ never changes.
00:56:48.97\00:56:51.11
For next week, we're gonna be
looking at the human condition,
00:56:51.14\00:56:54.88
again study your lesson,
00:56:54.91\00:56:57.15
come and share
with us, be with us.
00:56:57.21\00:56:59.68
We appreciate you all.
00:56:59.71\00:57:01.15
We ask for your
prayers and we pray for you.
00:57:01.18\00:57:03.82
God bless you.
00:57:03.85\00:57:05.19