“Redemption for Jew and Gentile”

“Redemption for Jew and Gentile”

(PDF Link)

 

In Romans 9:1-3 Paul displays the explosive power of the gospel. He who held the garments of the men who stoned Stephen, now cries out in anguish, “For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh.” 

 

As a chosen instrument to proclaim the gospel to the nations Israel corporately failed. Self became the focus of their national mindset. They sought to appropriate to themselves alone the promised blessings. Like Jonah they ran from their evangelistic mission. Like the Egyptians under Pharaoh, they rejected God’s gracious design for them. They were chosen by God to be His people, but they were not choosing to be God’s servants.

 

Could we, who rejoice in this most precious message of the gospel, share in their guilt?   God has given every believer a commission. Every one who believes and receives Jesus as Savior and Lord is born again to proclaim the unsearchable riches of Christ by a life of loving service, as well as by words of grace. This is the fruit of the gospel.

 

“Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteous-ness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward. Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am” (Isaiah 58:6-9).

 

Then Isaiah affirms that only such holy ones can effectively repair the breach in God’s law. Only these can truly cherish and exalt the Sabbath as their delight. The good news is that all have been redeemed from sin’s slavery through the blood of Jesus Christ. God has placed our feet on vantage ground. All have sinned. All miss the mark from time to time. But, praise God, all may be justified by faith – fully reconciled by the redemption that is in Christ. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (Romans 3:24-26; 2 Corinthians 5:14-19).

 

Salvation operates in the past, the present, and the future. All have been saved (past tense) at the cross. All who believe from the heart and receive Jesus as Savior and Lord are being saved (present tense). All who endure unto the end will be saved (future tense) by a faith that works. God guarantees our salvation unless we interpose a perverse will (see Ellen G. White, Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing page 76). “He that has begun a good work in you will complete it unto the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6).

 

God’s ultimate purpose will prevail, with or without us. Neither Jew or Gentile, Christian or Atheist can frustrate the purposes of God. The history of Israel and the surrounding nations clearly demonstrates this fact. God has a specific plan for your life and mine. Like Pharaoh we may refuse His plan. God manifested His power to Pharaoh in the plagues, and through Pharaoh in the deliverance of His chosen people. God would have preferred to manifest His power through a repentant Pharaoh. God hoped that Pharaoh would recognize His gracious purpose and surrender long before Egypt lay in ruins. But Pharaoh decided to interpose a perverse will. Therefore, God’s gracious purpose had to be carried out through the destruction of Egypt instead of through its exaltation to the status of servants of the Most High God. 

 

Paul also resisted until confronted with Jesus on the Damascus road. Compelled by the love of Christ, he counted no sacrifice too great, no suffering too intense, if only he could fulfill his mission as the apostle to the Gentiles.

 

Self is the stumbling stone that blinds our eyes to the freedom, power, and victory that is ours in Christ. A friend once said to me, “We all do what is good.” That is, whenever we choose our way instead of God’s way we believe we will receive some personal benefit. Eve “saw the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of the fruit and did eat” (Genesis 3:6).

 

A few years ago I was in Irkustk, Siberia as a member of Wilbur and Dorothy Nelson’s evangelistic team. During a Health Expo, a lady approached me for a blessing on her healing ministry. I talked with her about how we can know for sure which master empowers our ministry. “One way is to examine our motives and attitudes,” I told her. “Jesus said ‘Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.’” 

 

“But that is so difficult!” the lady protested. “No,” I said “It is impossible. But if we have been transformed by the Lord Jesus, all things become possible to us.”

 

All humans have all been elected to be “kings and priests.” Jesus invites us to live up to our high calling by faith. Paul tells how He was empowered to declare this message with explosive power, “I have made myself a servant of all, that I might win the more…I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means win some” (Romans 9:19-23).

 

“The love of Christ compels us,” he exclaimed, “Because we judge thus: that if one died for all, then all died. And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again” (2 Corinthians 5:14, 15).

 

“Now … where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Corinthians 3:17, 18).

--Lloyd Knecht

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Note: We invite you to read a verse-by-verse study of Romans 9 from the 1888 message perspective by Paul E. Penno. You will find it on the Internet at: http://www.1888mpm.org/articles/redemption-jew-and-gentile

Or, you may request that it be sent to you via e-mail. Just reply to this e-mail and ask for “Romans 9 study.”

---------------------------------------------
For an excellent companion book to these studies, please see Waggoner on Romans: the Gospel in Paul’s Great Letter, by E. J. Waggoner. You may access the complete book at: http://www.1888mpm.org/book/waggoner-romans

For Jack Sequeira sermons on Romans click here: MP3; Windows Media; Real Audio
 For the written version click here
 For a paraphrase on Romans click here


--
Raul Diaz
www.wolfsoath.com

“Freedom In Christ”

Third Quarter 2010 Adult Sabbath School Lessons

“Freedom In Christ”

For the week of August 22 - 28, 2010

(PDF Link)

 

Romans chapter eight begins with no condemnation in Christ and ends with no separation from Him. Condemnation is a legal sentence from a judge in court. Justification, or acquittal, is the opposite of condemnation. E.J. Waggoner wrote of this in 1891:

 

“[L]et us have some definitions to keep in our mind. Justification is ‘a showing to be just, or conformable to law, rectitude, or propriety.’ Condemnation is ‘the judicial act of declaring guilty, and dooming to punishment.’ The two words are directly opposite in meaning; and we have the inspired declaration that all the world are guilty (condemned) before God, and that by the deeds of the law none can be justified” (E.J. Waggoner, Signs of the Times, November 23, 1891. He used these legal definitions in articles in this magazine on March 25, 1886 and September 11, 1884).

 

Ellen White wrote earlier in that same year concerning the difference between justification and condemnation. She stated: “Justification is the opposite of condemnation” (Ellen White, Manuscript 21, 1891, pp. 1-11).

 

Following is a Biblical Dictionary definition justification:

“As regards its nature [justification], it is the judicial act of God… . It is the act of a judge and not of a sovereign. The law is not relaxed or set aside…” (Easton, M. (1996, c1897). Easton's Bible Dictionary).

 

In order to lift the sentence of condemnation that rightfully belongs to us, because of our transgressions of the law, Jesus had to die for us, as us. He is both our Substitute and our Representative. Instead of condemnation, our sentence of acquittal was declared at Calvary in Christ.

 

Justification is both a judicial term – a word from the courts of law – and an experiential term. Justification becomes experiential when a person believes. It effects a change in the mind and heart. When we accept Christ “by faith” a change, even the new birth, occurs.

 

In judgment, justification is the gracious act of God, who sits as Judge in the high court of Heaven. By this act He pronounced, concerning the fallen human race, a decree of restoration to divine favor. This was because Christ, the Representative of humanity, exhausted the penalty for man’s transgressions of the law on Calvary. God’s justice was satisfied in the death penalty contained in the sentence of condemnation imposed on the fallen human race in its Representative.

 

 “Justice moved from its high and awful position, and the heavenly hosts, the armies of holiness, drew near to the cross, bowing with reverence; for at the cross justice was satisfied” (Ellen White, “The Signs of the Times,” June 5, 1893).

The freedom from condemnation, in Christ, comes because of what God did in Christ. This is stated plainly in Romans 8:3 –

 

“For God achieved what the law could not do because it was weakened through the flesh. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and concerning sin, he condemned sin in the flesh” (The NET Bible, First Edition).

 

Because of our sinful nature, the law cannot free us from condemnation. It can never justify. It can only condemn us. In order for us to become free from condemnation, God sent Jesus and “made Him to be sin for us.” Therefore we may be not only legally justified, but also justified experientially through faith in Him. Jesus was born “under the law, to redeem those who were under the law” (Galatians 4:4–5). He took our condemnation “under the law.” Jesus was sent in sinful human flesh like ours in order to condemn sin in our fallen flesh. 

 

How did He do this? First of all, He never gave in to the clamoring tendencies to sin inherent within our nature. By conquering these tendencies He condemned them where they reside – in our fallen nature. Secondly, He took our committed sins upon Himself, along with our fallen human nature. In His death He condemned our sins forever. The completeness of Christ’s condemnation is found in the fact that He condemned sin in its tendency, as well as taking the condemnation that resulted from our committed sins. If Jesus had failed to condemn sin on a single point, He could not be a complete Savior. A.T. Jones commented regarding this:

 

“O, He is a complete Saviour. He is a Saviour from sins committed and the Conqueror of the tendencies to commit sins. In Him we have the victory. We are no more responsible for these tendencies being in us than we are responsible for the sun shining, but every man on earth is responsible for these things appearing in open action in Him, because Jesus Christ has made provision against their ever appearing in open action. Before we learned of Christ, many of them had appeared in open action. The Lord hath laid upon Him all these and He has taken them away. Since we learned of Christ, these tendencies which have not appeared He condemned as sin in the flesh” (A.T. Jones, General Conference Bulletin, February 21, 1895, p. 267)

 

Christ was condemned as we deserve, that we might be justified as He deserves. He was condemned as us, that we might be free in Him. “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him” (Isaiah 53:5). He suffered the condemnation which was ours, that we might receive the freedom which was His. “With His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).

 

Are you free in Christ?

--Jerry Finneman

 

For an excellent companion book to these studies, please see Waggoner on Romans: the Gospel in Paul’s Great Letter, by E. J. Waggoner. You may access the complete book at: http://www.1888mpm.org/book/waggoner-romans

For Jack Sequeira sermons on Romans click here: MP3; Windows Media; Real Audio
 For the written version click here
 For a paraphrase on Romans click herePurchase the Audio version of the Bible Studies on the Book of Romans from Advent Pioneer Books

An Invitation to Study the Book of Hebrews!

 You Are Cordially Invited

To Continue the Journey

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

THE BOOK OF HEBREWS
Through the 1888 Message Perspective
(Part 2)

AUGUST 28, 2010
Sabbath morning, 2:15 p.m., and Saturday Night

An 1888 message oriented sermon will be delivered during the regular
Worship Service at 11:00 a.m.

CAVE SPRINGS HOME, PEGRAM, TENNESSEE

(Off Interstate 40 westbound from Nashville, exit 192–turn right, then left on HWY 70,
1-1/2 miles to Cave Springs Road, two rights and follow the signs.)

Speaker & Bible Study Leader

Chaplain Craig Barnes
 

CHILDREN'S PROGRAMS
• Special class for children during Sabbath School
• Separate programs during the afternoon meetings

SABBATH DINNER & LIGHT SUPPER
Plant-based meals will be served at Cave Springs Home
on a donation basis. Please E-mail or call to reserve a meal ticket.

BOOK SALE (After Sunset)

LODGING
• Available on Site
• Commercial lodging available in the nearby town of Belleview

TO CONTACT CAVE SPRINGS

• Phone: (615) 646-6962 (if no answer, please leave a message)
• E-mail: cjmb@comcast.net 

-- Next meeting: November 13, 2010 --

“The Man of Romans 7”

Insights No. 08

Third Quarter 2010 Adult Sabbath School Lessons

“The Man of Romans 7”

For the week of August 15-21, 2010

(Produced by the Editorial Board of the 1888 Message Study Committee)

Paul approaches his teaching with what we call building blocks. The idea is that one block, or teaching, supports the next one. We see this concept demonstrated in mathematics. Each concept in math supports the one to follow. For example, misunderstanding division leads to not understanding fractions, and therefore not understanding decimal points and percentages. Thus, the basic building blocks support the more complex ones.

Paul starts with the simplest concepts to build to the more complex ones. This explains why he elaborates so much on his points. It is to say, "Do not miss this. If you do, you will not understand what I say after this." Therefore, to really understand the dilemma and struggle of "the man of Romans 7" – “O wretched man” -- you must first understand the dilemma and struggle of the woman in the opening verses of Romans 7.

The Woman of Romans 7

In our passage of Scripture, Paul has been writing to the Jewish Christians in Rome about an essential truth. They know the law (Torah) – they can recite it from heart, both individually and collectively, but they do not understand its true meaning. They know that they are under the jurisdiction of the law, and that it has dominion over them as long as they live, much as a country’s laws have jurisdiction over both its citizens and visitors. Yet Paul is telling these Jewish Christians that God has not only given them freedom to choose to obey, but that He has put an end to the law’s dominion in their lives. To illustrate this, Paul makes a statement in Romans 7 verse 1, and then provides an analogy in verses 2-3.

The woman in the first three verses of Romans 7 is in a similar situation as Paul’s readers. Let us look at the passage in Romans 7:1-3.

Vs. 1 Know ye not, brethren (for I speak to them that know the law), how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?

Vs. 2 For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he

liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.

Vs. 3 So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress; but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.

In the above passage, a married woman finds herself attracted to a single man. She wants to leave her husband and marry him, but knows she cannot for she is already married. Perhaps we can infer from the verses that follow Romans 7:3 that her current husband is a cruel man whose intent is to kill her. But no, that would not be accurate, for in fact, he is a loving husband. It is just that he cannot sympathize with her weakness in not carrying out his commands; neither can he help her carry them out.

In contrast, her new love interest is a sweet, kind and loving man who not only wants her to be His, but also sympathizes with all of her weaknesses (Hebrews 4:15). This man is also able to help her to do what she is incapable of doing on her own (Hebrews 2:17, 18). Thus, our woman of Romans 7 has a dilemma.  She cannot leave her current husband and marry her new found love without committing one of two crimes: 1) breaking the law of marriage which says „until death do you part‟ or 2) killing her spouse.

She cannot leave her husband, and she cannot stay. Daily she is suffering a cruel existence. What can she do? The only way out is through a death. However, it cannot be through murder. She cannot murder her husband, for that is illegal. If he kills her, she will not be free to marry, as she would be dead.

So she goes to her new love interest and presents her dilemma to Him. It’s true that neither He nor she can do away with her husband, which represents the law, for it is „just and holy and good‟(Romans 7:12).  He can not nail her spouse (the law) to the cross. But He and she can die together, thus freeing her from her first marriage. In effect, He tells her He will nail her (us) to the cross in Himself, and thus when He dies, she will die and when He is resurrected, she will be resurrected in Him. This solution fills her with hope. In gratitude, she consents.  As Paul has said, “Therefore my brethren, you (the wife) also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ.” It is not the law (former spouse) that dies on the cross. It is us (the entire human race) that died in the second Adam, Jesus Christ (cf. I Corinthians 15: 21, 22; 44-47).

Let us deal with the first issue. We (mankind) are represented both individually and corporately in Romans 5. Accordingly, we had no say in what Adam did to plunge us into sin. We also had no say in what Christ, our divine lover, did to rescue us from sin. We do, however, have a choice. We may agree to individually receive that gift by grace through faith.  Consequently, the woman in Romans 7, who makes the choice to die in Christ and be resurrected in Him, becomes part of the corporate bride of Christ. She is a part, but not the whole. It is she (both individually and corporately) whom our divine Lover has been waiting for all of His life.

You see, love is the fulfillment of the law (Romans 13:10). Christ as the divine lover has fulfilled all of that law. Thus, when our woman of Romans 7 dies and is resurrected with Him (Christ), she also fulfills the law in Him. The Law has been described as the supreme love to God, and love to man as He has loved us (John 13:34, 35). Therefore, while we can not obey the law in our weakness, nor can the law help us obey, we have become obedient through Christ.

In sum, when by faith we accept our death in Christ, recognized through the symbol of baptism, we are liberated from the „dominion and jurisdiction‟ of the law. It is not abolished, but is placed in the mind and on the heart as promised by God (Jeremiah 31: 33; Ezekiel 11:19; Hebrews 8:10). This is what it means to be under grace, in Christ. We can now bear the fruit of our union together. Glory be to God!

--Raul Diaz

For an excellent companion book to these studies, please see Waggoner on Romans: the Gospel in Paul’s Great Letter, by E. J. Waggoner. You may access the complete book at: http://www.1888mpm.org/book/waggoner-romans

For Jack Sequeira sermons on Romans click here: MP3; Windows Media; Real Audio
 For the written version click here
 For a paraphrase on Romans click here

Purchase the Audio version of the Bible Studies on the Book of Romans from Advent Pioneer Books