12 church and law

Lesson 12

Key Text:

“Here is the patience of the saints;here are those who keep

the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus”

Revelation 14:12

In a relay race, a team usually consists of four runners. Team members may have

competed against each other at another time, but now, as a part of the same team,

they must learn to think as one. In the race itself, the length of the course is

equally divided between the participants. One team member alone can race at any

given time—the one who is holding the baton. The baton is skillfully passed from

one team member to the next until the race is finished. In a sense, the baton is the

only symbol of continuity among the members of the relay team.

God’s church is something like a

relay team. Starting with Adam in the

garden, the baton has been passed

through several phases of salvation

history: from Noah to Abraham to

Sinai to the New Testament church

to the Reformation church and now

to those who proclaim the three

angels’ messages.

The symbol of continuity for God’s

church is His law, which, after the

Fall, must always be coupled with

God’s saving grace. Together, both

are the essence of the gospel.

This lesson traces the continuity of

the law and grace in God’s church

through the ages.

Adam

Noah

Abraham

Moses

Jesus

The term “Christ’s Church” may refer to just the Christ Jesus founded, but we are going to use it in a broader sense.

This week we are studying the evolution of “Christ’s Church” during the entire history of this world, from Eden to the End Time.

Re

mn

ant C

hu

rchPu

re C

hu

rch

“And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, ‘Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you

shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.’”(Genesis 2:16-17)

Why did God test Adam and Eve’s loyalty?

The forbidden fruit could bring “knowledge of good and evil”. According to Paul, the law has the same goal for us (Romans 7:7)

Both eating the fruit and transgressing the law result in the same way, practical knowledge of evil. That is, SIN.

Adam and Eve were created morally free. They were able to choose between obeying God and disobeying Him; that is, to love Him or to reject Him.

Read Genesis

2:16–3:7. What test

was given to Adam

and Eve? Why

would such a test

be needed for

perfect beings?

In order to be able to love, Adam and Eve had to be created as morally

free agents. They had to have the ability and the freedom to do wrong,

even if they had no valid reason to do so. The test at the tree was a moral

test: In what way would they use their God-given moral freedom?

We know the answer.

At the center of morality is law, God’s law, which defines good and evil for us

(note that the tree is called the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil”).

What’s the purpose of a law that forbids lying, stealing, and killing if these

beings were incapable of doing any of those things to begin with? The law

itself would be meaningless in a universe of automatons—beings able to do

only good. That’s not, however, how God chose to create us. He couldn’t—

not if He wanted beings who could truly love.

Though after the Fall Adam and Eve were to “pass the baton” to the next

generation, humanity’s moral spiral downward was quick and dirty. Of their

first two sons, only Abel chose to join God’s church, while Cain became

possessed by the spirit of covetousness, lying, murder, and parental

disrespect. Things went from bad to worse until evil overshadowed the good,

and by the time of the Flood only Noah and his family could truly claim to be

members of Christ’s church.

REFLECTION

How many times in the past 24 hours have

you made moral choices, using the freedom

given to us from Eden?

What were those choices, and how much

were they in harmony with God’s moral law?

“Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” (Genesis 6:5)

How could the human kind deteriorate to such an extent?

Since Abel was murdered, men began to take lightly God’s Commandments.

Idolatry, theft, adultery, murder… spread quickly.

Those who remained faithful to God began joining the disloyal ones (Gn. 6:1-2)

When Noah was born, Christ’s Church consisted of very few people who still remained faithful to God’s law.

“The race of Cain, spreading from the place of their first

settlement, dispersed over the plains and valleys where

the children of Seth had dwelt; and the latter, in order to

escape from their contaminating influence, withdrew to

the mountains, and there made their home. So long as

this separation continued, they maintained the worship

of God in its purity. But in the lapse of time they ventured,

little by little, to mingle with the inhabitants of the valleys.

This association was productive of the worst results. ‘The sons of God saw

the daughters of men that they were fair.’ The children of Seth, attracted by

the beauty of the daughters of Cain’s descendants, displeased the Lord by

intermarrying with them. Many of the worshipers of God were beguiled into

sin by the allurements that were now constantly before them, and they lost

their peculiar, holy character. Mingling with the depraved, they became like

them in spirit and in deeds; the restrictions of the seventh commandment

were disregarded, ‘and they took them wives of all which they chose.’ The

children of Seth went ‘in the way of Cain’ (Jude 11); they fixed their minds

upon worldly prosperity and enjoyment and neglected the commandments of

the Lord. Men ‘did not like to retain God in their knowledge;’ they ‘became

vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.’ Romans

1:21. Therefore ‘God gave them over to a mind void of judgment.’ Verse 28,

margin. Sin spread abroad in the earth like a deadly leprosy.”E.G.W. (Patriarchs and Prophets, cp. 6, pg. 81)

Which were Noah’s moral strengths?

“This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a

just man, perfect in his generations. Noah

walked with God.” (Genesis 6:9)

1. A just man.2. Perfect.3. He walked with God.

Was he saved because of his moral strengths?

NO. Only divine grace can save a person from damnation, both then and now. “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.” (Genesis 6:8)

After the Flood, it took only 100 years until men openly rebelled against God again.

“And they said, ‘Come, let us build ourselves a

city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens;

let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be

scattered abroad over the face of the whole

earth.’” (Genesis 11:4)

Despite that, the principles of God’s law still remained in the hearts of humankind. For example, read the words of Pharaoh or Abimelech (Gn. 12:18-19; 26:9-10). In addition, some people still served the true God; for example, Melchizedek (Gn. 14:18)

When Abram was born (292 years after the Flood), the true God and His law were almost forgotten.

God poured down His grace on Abram like He did

to Noah. Thanks to God’s grace, Abraham “obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My command-ments, My statutes, and My laws.” (Gn. 26:5)

Despite his own mistakes, Abraham was a man of true faith. That faith was counted as righteousness by God’s grace.

“After these things the word of the Lord came

to Abram in a vision, saying, ‘Do not be afraid,

Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly

great reward.’” (Genesis 15:1)

“For a time the descendants of Noah continued to dwell

among the mountains where the ark had rested.

As their numbers increased, apostasy soon led to division.

Those who desired to forget their Creator and to cast

off the restraint of His law felt a constant annoyance from the

teaching and example of their God-fearing associates, and

after a time they decided to separate from the worshipers of

God.

Accordingly they journeyed to the plain of Shinar, on the

banks of the river Euphrates.

They were attracted by the beauty of the situation and the

fertility of the soil, and upon this plain they determined to

make their home.”

E.G.W. (Patriarchs and Prophets, cp. 10, pg. 118)

(Deuteronomy 7:6, 11)

Israel was a “holy people”. What does that mean?

Israel was a people that was set apart for God. They were priests that should act like stewards of God’s law.

God poured down His grace on Israel like He did to Adam, Noah and Abraham. He also demanded obedience from them.

“The Lord did not set His love on

you nor choose you because you

were more in number than any other

people… but because the Lord loves

you…” (Deuteronomy 7:7-8)

“And the dragon was

enraged with the woman,

and he went to make war

with the rest of her

offspring, who keep the

commandments of God

and have the testimony of

Jesus Christ.”

(Revelation 12:17)

With His resurrection, Jesus crossed the finish line, for He broke the chain of death. Now, through the power of the Spirit, the resurrected Christ shares His righteousness with every believer.

Unfortunately, the Church Jesus founded apostatized soon. God then called a faithful remnant, from Jesus to our days.

Like in a relay race, Adam passed the baton (the Promise) to Noah, Noah to Abraham, Abraham to Israel, and Israel to Christ (the Promise)

“Not all in this world have taken sides with

the enemy against God. Not all have become

disloyal. There are a faithful few who are

true to God; for John writes: ‘Here are they

that keep the commandments of God, and

the faith of Jesus.’ Revelation 14:12”

E.G.W. (Counsels for the Church, cp. 2, pg. 39)

CHRIST AND HIS

LAW

Slideshare.net/chucho1943

We invite you to download

and study each one of the 13

lessons about this serie

THIS SERVICE IS

FREE AND YOU

CAN USE IT