James had a lot to say about love and law. He corrects the church, rebuking the partiality and favoritism of the wealthy while many neglected the poor. James discusses how partiality transgresses the law of love. But how? Is there more to the law than we understand at surface value? Does the fairness with which we treat each other impact our keeping of God's Commandments? Can a person keep the Commandments yet not care for the poor? Can one be a Commandment keeper and be wealthy? What does love have to do with God's Law and justice. We explore these topics this week.
How can we be saved? What must I do to be saved? This week we explore salvation focusing on what happens in the life of the sinner that ultimately leads to a salvation experience. Is repentance really necessary? What is the relationship between being saved and having faith? What if I'm not really all that bad? Do I still need saving? How does a person know if they need salvation at all? These questions and others are tackled in this week's lesson.
What did the apostles believe about God's Law. Surely, the people who spent the most time with Jesus would know what Jesus taught and believed about the Law both prior to and after His death and resurrection. What did they teach about God's Law? Did they contradict one another, or did they believe the same thing? This week we take a look at the writings of Paul, Peter, James, John and Jude in an effort to understand what the apostles believed about the relationship between the Law and Salvation. We will compare their teachings with the teachings of many churches today.
What is the relationship between Christ, the law of God, and the covenants? What exactly is a covenant? Are there terms to this agreement? What kind of covenant can we make with God today? Why do some theologians misunderstand the covenant? Do our works have an impact on our covenant relationship with God? We explore these questions this week.
What is the relationship between the Law and the Gospel? Does one invalidate the other? What was the good news that Christ brought to humanity? Were we saved in sin or from sin? Does God still require obedience from His people today? What does it mean to be in covenant relationship with God? What good news is in Christ's message for humanity today? Is there a role the law still plays? What did Paul mean when he said that sin takes advantage of the law? We explore these questions in this week's study.
What is the difference between God's Law and Christ's Law? Does Christ's Law trump the law of God? Are Christians under a completely different set of rules today, rather than God's Ten Commandments? Jesus gave His disciples a "new" commandment; but, was this commandment really new? How does all this tie in to God's covenant relationship with His people? This week we explore the relationship between God's Law and Christ's Law. We will also clear up common misconceptions held by many today in regard to the binding nature of God's Law.
What does the Bible mean when it says that Christ is the "end" of the Law? Is the Law done away with? Is it still binding on Christians today? What was the purpose of Jesus' mission? Is obedience always legalism? Is it possible to keep God's commandments? Can a person earn brownie points with God? This week we explore the relationship between Christ and the Law.
This week we discuss Christ and the Sabbath, Did Jesus keep all 10 Commandments? Was He really guilty of breaking the Sabbath as the Pharisees accused? What is the Sabbath and where did it come from? Was it a commandment only for the Jews? What does the Sabbath mean for us today? Does it really matter? This week we tackle these questions that may shed light on some things that many have wondered about.
In this week's study we explore an unfamiliar aspect of the sermon on the mount. Jesus had a lot to say about law. But was He for or against it? Did He come to do away with the law or make it all the more binding? How did Jesus treat the commands against murder, adultery, and other offenses? What does this mean for us today? This week we'll explore how Jesus put the law in it's proper place.
This week we study the essence of the Great Controversy over God's character. Why is God on trial? Why does God need to vindicate His character to anyone? What were Satan's lies about God and how has God chosen to respond? God created beings that are free moral agents. What does this say about His government as king of the Universe? Can there truly be a merger of justice and love? If God was only love, or only justice, what would that mean for us?