Transcript Diapositiva 1 - Your Life

Lesson 6 for November 5, 2011
Contrary to human promises that
are not worthy many times, a
divine promise is a firm vow from
God of doing what He promises.
He promised Noah and his family to save them
and the animals from the Flood
(Genesis, 6: 18-20)
He promised Noah that there would be no
other Flood
(Genesis, 9: 11-17)
He promised Abram the land of Canaan, from
the Mediterranean Sea to the Euphrates
(Genesis, 15: 18)
He promised Abraham a great offspring that
would begin with Isaac’s birth
(Genesis, 17: 1-21)
Divine promises in the Old
Testament are presented in the
form of unilateral covenant that
God makes with man, promising
to do something in his favor.
“Calling a bird of prey from the
east, The man who executes My
counsel, from a far country. Indeed
I have spoken it; I will also bring it
to pass. I have purposed it; I will
also do it” (Isaías, 46: 11)
The promise Abraham accepted by faith was given as
an unconditional promise from God.
The promise “In your seed all the nations of the earth
shall be blessed” (Genesis, 22: 18) would have been
fulfilled regardless of how Abraham and his
descendants acted. That is, Christ (the Seed according
to Galatians, 3: 16) would come as a blessing for
everyone independently of how man would act.
After the promise, God explained
Abraham which law he should observe as
receiver of the promise.
“Because Abraham obeyed My
voice and kept My charge, My
commandments, My statutes,
and My laws” (Genesis, 26: 5)
430 years after the promise, God gave the law to the descendants of
Abraham in Mount Sinai when they needed to remember what God
wanted from them.
The law didn’t invalidate the promise (that is, faith) because God’s
promise was unconditional. The law was an expression of what God
expected from the receivers of the promise.
“And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years
later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God in
Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect” (Galatians, 3: 17)
Paul taught that the law wasn’t a
prerequisite for salvation, but man
is justified by faith without the
works of the law.
If it is that way, why do we need to
keep the law?
Jesus didn’t come to destroy (abolish) the law, but
to fulfill it (Matthew, 5: 17-20)
If justification by faith abolishes law, then there was
no need for the atoning death of Christ to release
the sinner from his sins, and thus restore him to
peace with God.
“Do we then make
void the law
through faith?
Certainly not! On
the contrary, we
establish the law”
(Romans, 3: 31)
Paul tells us that the law “was added because of
transgressions” (Galatians, 3: 19). That is, the first
purpose of the law is to point out what sin is and to
show us our sinful condition.
Through moral laws, the law shows us our sin. If it
wasn’t for the law, we would never know we’ve
sinned. But the law doesn’t solve the problem of sin.
Through ceremonial laws, we were taught the way
we must follow to solve the problem of sin.
So the second purpose of the law is to make us feel
the need of coming to the feet of Christ, the only
One who can provide forgiveness of sins by His
grace.
“Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we
might be justified by faith” (Galatians, 3: 24)
“What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of
transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was
made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator.
Now a mediator does not mediate for one only, but God is one”
(Galatians, 3: 19-20)
“The promise of the pact was not “added” to anything;
it was given personally by God. Therefore, the verse 20
could be paraphrased like this: “However, a mediator
involves an agreement between two parts; but the
promise of the pact was unilateral: it depended on God
alone and, therefore, it did not require a mediator”. The
old pact was a contract between God and the chosen
people, with Moses as a mediator; but the new or
eternal pact that God made with Abraham was just a
promise. In the old pact there was an agreement of the
people to obey; but in the new pact, it is only necessary
to accept the promise by faith, and obedience comes in
a natural way” (SDA Bible Commentary, on Galatians, 3: 20)
Many people think that the law given on Mount Sinai was only for the Jewish
people. If we study the Bible carefully, we can see that the law was in force
much before Sinai and it still is in force nowadays.
You shall not murder (Genesis, 9: 6)
Precepts, commandments, statutes and laws (Genesis, 26: 5)
Before
Sinai
You shall not commit adultery (Genesis, 39: 7-10)
The Sabbath (Exodus, 19: 23-26)
Ceremonial laws
From Sinai Civil laws
to Christ
Health laws
Moral laws
It wasn’t repealed by Christ (Matthew, 5: 17)
Ceremonial laws were fulfilled in Christ (John, 1: 29)
After
Christ
It still points out our sin (Romans, 7: 7)
We must obey all the commandments (James, 2: 10-12)
Christ can do what the law could never do—provide a true remedy for
sin; that is, justify sinners and, by His Spirit, fulfill His law in them
(Romans, 8: 3-4)