FINDING THE BALANCE Two Great Divisions of Scripture

FINDING THE BALANCE:

Two Great Divisions of Scripture Content: • Law • & Gospel (Grace)

What Law Is: • • • Ten Commandments (Moral) Ceremonial Civil Dietary & Hygiene Christian ethics

What Is The Gospel? • Euaggelion (Gk. ) – Good News • There is a difference between “Good Instruction” and “Good News”. • News - Something has already happened. • While Law instructs us as to what to do and how to do it, and what not to do, … • Gospel tells us that something has already been done. • It is about what God has done.

What is The Gospel? • While there are different types of Laws, there can only be one Gospel. • “I marvel that you are so soon removed from Him that called you into the grace of Christ, into another gospel. • (7) Which is not another, for there are some that trouble you and would pervert the gospel of Christ. • The Gospel therefore, is the Gospel of Christ.

Gospel? Good news creates a mental, emotional and psychological response within us which moves us to action. Good news of of a great act of mercy and blessing (grace) done for you, even though you did not deserve mercy, inspires thankfulness in the heart. The only proper response to grace is gratitude. Gratitude expresses itself in works of thankfulness.

• But notice that the gratitude is a response to something which preceded it, … the Grace. • None of our works then, even our works which are motivated by the Spirit, even our love motivated obedience to the law, even all our reforms which we practice, can ever contribute to the gracious gift of salvation. • Everything we do can only be in response to what God has already done. • Therefore all our works, all our obedience can only be a “Thank-offering” to God.

The Gospel: • “Moreover brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also you have received and wherein you stand. • By which you also are saved, if you keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless you have believed in vain.

• “For I delivered unto you first of all, that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures. • And that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day, according to the scriptures”. • The Gospel therefore Concerns Christ, His death, burial and resurrection, and all which included in that great work for us.

TWO GREAT WORKS OF GOD: • #1: God’s work in Christ for us. • #2: God’s work in us by the Holy Spirit.

#1: God’s Work in Christ for us: • • It is perfect and complete. We cannot add anything to it. It is what our salvation is based upon (alone). It includes the whole world, even unbelievers. This has to do with our Justification. “We are Justified by his blood” Rom. 5: 9. By this great work, God has saved the whole race of humanity.

#1: God’s work in Christ for us. • 1 John 2: 2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for [the sins of] the whole world. • 1 John 4: 14 “And we have seen and do testify, that the Father sent the Son, to be the Savior of the world. • 1 Tim. 4: 10 Forthereforewebothlaborand suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, specially of those that believe.

#1: God’s work in Christ for us. n, the • John unto 4: 4: 42 said And we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard [him] ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.

Reconciliation: An Accomplished Fact: • 2 Cor. 5: 18 Andallthings[are]of. God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; • 5: 19 To reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

The Spirit of Prophecy Confirms: “He (Christ) took in his grasp the world over which satan claimed to preside as his lawful territory, and by his wonderful work in giving his life, He restored the whole race of men to favor with God. ” {7 BC, 485}. “Christ was tempted by satan in a hundredfold severer manner than was Adam, and under circumstances in every way more trying. The deceiver presented himself as an angel of light, but Christ withstood His temptation. He redeemed Adam’s disgraceful fall, and saved the world. ” {God’s Amazing Grace, 43; YI June 2, 1898}

The Spirit of Prophecy Confirms: • “The atonement for a lost world was to be full, abundant, and complete. Christ’s offering was exceedingly abundant, reaching every soul that God had created. It could not be restricted nor measured so as not to exceed the number who would accept the great gift. ” {Youth Instructor, July 19, 1900}.

The Spirit of Prophecy Confirms: “With His own blood He has signed the emancipation papers of the race”. {MH 89. 3} “Christ…redeemed Adam’s disgraceful fall and saved the world. ” {My Life Today, 323}

#2: God’s work in us by the Holy Spirit. • This is an ongoing and incomplete work. • You will never get to a point where you know for a fact that it is fully completed in you. • It is a progressive experience, and includes our participation, which involves our obedience. • We have to cooperate with God, in our daily surrender. • Our salvation is not based upon this work, but it is because we have received salvation that this work can take place within us. • While Justification gives us a title for heaven, this is fitting us to live in the presence of perfectly holy beings. • It is our Sanctification.

#2: God’s work in us by the Holy Spirit. e • Romans ye 8: 9 But the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. • 8: 10 And dead because of sin; but the Spirit [is] life because of righteousness.

#2: God’s work in us by the Holy Spirit. • Phil. 2: 13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of [his] good pleasure. And • Eph. your mind;

Finding The Balance: • “For if by one man’s offense, death reigned by one, much more, they which receive abundance of life and the gift of righteousness, shall reign by One, Jesus Christ. Romans 5: 17. • 1 Tim. 4: 10 Forthereforewebothlaborand suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, specially of those that believe.

• The Gospel presents to the world the good news of #1, and when they respond in accepting it, #2 is made possible. • In order for a ship to find rest, it must cast its anchor out and anchor upon a rock outside of itself. • If you put your trust in your own performance, you are trusting in an imperfect, incomplete work, and therefore will always be filled with anxiety, and doubts. You will never know true restfulness.

• #1: Is the work upon which our salvation is based. [The root] • #2: Witnesses to the reality of that salvation. [The Fruit]

God Takes The Initiative: • “When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? • She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more”. John 8: 10 -11.

God Takes The Initiative: • ROM. 6: 14: “Sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under Law you are under grace”. • Exodus 20: 1 -2 “I AM the Lord thy God who has brought you out of the land of Egypt, and out of the house of bondage. • Thou shalt have no other Gods before Me……”

Romans 8: • 8: 31 What shall we then say to these things? If God [be] for us, who [can be] against us? •

Romans 8 • 8: 34 Who [is] he that condemneth? [It is] Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. 8: 35 of • love separate shall the Who from us Christ? [shall] tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? • 8: 36 As killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

Romans 8 • 8: 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. • 8: 38 persuaded, am IForthat neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, • creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

God Takes The Initiative: • 8: 31 What shall we then say to these things? If God [be] for us, who [can be] against us? •