Sunday
August 28
1. SPECIFIC DISTINCTION
a. What did God require of the priests under the old covenant? Leviticus 10:10, 11.
“God has pronounced a curse upon those who depart from His commandments, and put no difference between common and holy things. . . . Let no one deceive himself with the belief that a part of God’s commandments are nonessential, or that He will accept a substitute for that which He has required. . . . God has placed in His word no command which men may obey or disobey at will and not suffer the consequences.”—Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 360, 361.
b. What happened to two sons of Aaron who overlooked God’s requirement? Leviticus 10:1, 2. What had caused them to overlook the distinction between the holy and the unholy? Leviticus 10:9.
“Nadab and Abihu would never have committed that fatal sin had they not first become partially intoxicated by the free use of wine. . . . Their minds became confused and their moral perceptions dulled so that they could not discern the difference between the sacred and the common.”—Ibid., pp. 361, 362.
Monday
August 29
2. GREAT BLINDNESS
a. How great was the confusion between the holy and the unholy (between light and darkness, right and wrong) among the Jewish leaders in the days of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel? Isaiah 5:20–24; Ezekiel 22:26.
b. Explain the confusion among the Jewish leaders regarding right and wrong in the days of Christ. Matthew 12:7; 23:1–5, 23–26. How is such an attitude common today?
“The rebuke of Christ to the Pharisees is applicable to those who have lost from the heart their first love. A cold, legal religion can never lead souls to Christ; for it is a loveless, Christless religion. When fastings and prayers are practiced in a self-justifying spirit, they are abominable to God.”—Selected Messages, bk. 1, p. 388.
c. What command had been given through Moses regarding the Ten Commandments? Deuteronomy 6:6–8. What should we realize about the way the Pharisees missed the spiritual meaning of this by making a literal application of verse 8?
“[Deuteronomy 6:8 quoted.] . . . The command given to Moses was construed into a direction that the precepts of Scripture should be worn upon the person. They were accordingly written upon strips of parchment, and bound in a conspicuous manner about the head and wrists. But this did not cause the law of God to take a firmer hold of the mind and heart. These parchments were worn merely as badges, to attract attention. They were thought to give the wearers an air of devotion which would command the reverence of the people. Jesus struck a blow at this vain pretense.”—The Desire of Ages, pp. 612, 613.
“The ritual service was of no value, unless connected with Christ by living faith. Even the moral law fails of its purpose, unless it is understood in its relation to the Saviour. Christ had repeatedly shown that His Father’s law contained something deeper than mere authoritative commands. In the law is embodied the same principle that is revealed in the gospel. The law points out man’s duty and shows him his guilt. To Christ he must look for pardon and for power to do what the law enjoins.”—Ibid., p. 608.
Tuesday
August 30
3. DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN RIGHTEOUSNESS AND SIN
a. Did Jesus come with a new religion—or did He come to destroy the works of Satan, who causes confusion between right and wrong? Did Christ vindicate and strengthen or disrupt and abolish our moral obligations toward God and others, as explained in the law and the prophets and specified in the Ten Commandments? Matthew 5:17–19; 22:38–40.
“[Mark 12:30, 31 quoted.] Both these commandments are an expression of the principle of love. The first cannot be kept and the second broken, nor can the second be kept while the first is broken.”—The Desire of Ages, p. 607.
b. Since “all the law and the prophets” are based on the principles of love to God and humanity, how does the Bible clearly define what sin is? Romans 3:20; 4:15; 7:7; 1 John 3:4. Describe the contrast between one who resists God’s law and one who submits to it.
“Many proclaim the law of God abolished, and surely their lives are in keeping with their faith. If there is no law, then there is no transgression, and therefore no sin; for sin is the transgression of the law.
“The carnal mind is enmity against God, and it rebels against His will. Let it once throw off the yoke of obedience and it slips unconsciously into the lawlessness of crime. Iniquity abounds among those who talk grandly of pure and perfect religious liberty. Their conduct is abhorrent to the Lord, and they are coworkers with the adversary of souls. The light of revealed truth is turned from their sight, and the beauties of holiness are but as shadows to them. . . .
“I have been shown what man is without a knowledge of the will of God. Crimes and iniquity fill up the measure of his life. But when the Spirit of God reveals to him the full meaning of the law, what a change takes place in his heart! Like Belshazzar, he reads intelligently the handwriting of the Almighty, and conviction takes possession of his soul. The thunders of God’s word startle him from his lethargy, and he calls for mercy in the name of Jesus. And to that humble plea God always listens with a willing ear. He never turns the penitent away comfortless.”—Testimonies, vol. 4, pp. 13, 14.
Wednesday
August 31
4. OVERCOMING PHARISAICAL RELIGION
a. How did Jesus rebuke the Jewish leaders for disobeying God’s law, as explained in the Old Testament? Matthew 15:3, 13; 23:23; John 7:19.
“The Sadducees had flattered themselves that they of all men adhered most strictly to the Scriptures. But Jesus showed that they had not known their true meaning. That knowledge must be brought home to the heart by the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit. Their ignorance of the Scriptures and the power of God He declared to be the cause of their confusion of faith and darkness of mind.”—The Desire of Ages, pp. 605, 606.
b. How did Paul, before his conversion, consider himself and his self-righteousness based on the law? Philippians 3:4–6. When did he realize that he was actually a transgressor of the law? Romans 7:7–9; 8:7; Philippians 3:7–9.
c. Then, after his conversion, how did Paul view the law? Romans 7:10–16. Did he blame the law or did he blame himself for his past insubordination to its precepts? Romans 7:22, 25; 8:1–4.
d. After the repentant sinner has been freed from the condemnation of the law, is he or she free to return to his or her previous life of sin because he or she is now under grace? Romans 6:1, 2, 15; John 8:11.
“In the new birth the heart is brought into harmony with God, as it is brought into accord with His law. When this mighty change has taken place in the sinner, he has passed from death unto life, from sin unto holiness, from transgression and rebellion to obedience and loyalty. The old life of alienation from God has ended; the new life of reconciliation, of faith and love, has begun.”—The Great Controversy, p. 468.
Thursday
September 1
5. CONVERSION
a. Paul taught that the law condemns the sinner. So, a transgressor under (the condemnation of) the law cannot expect pardon (justification) from it. Galatians 2:16. Should a believer justified by faith continue in sin? Galatians 2:17, 18.
“[The archenemy] induces many professing Christians, under pretense of honoring Christ, to cast contempt on the moral law and to teach that its precepts may be transgressed with impunity. It is the duty of every servant of God to withstand firmly and decidedly these perverters of the faith and by the word of truth fearlessly to expose their errors.”—The Acts of the Apostles, p. 387.
b. After Paul’s growth in Christ (Galatians 1:11, 12), how did he still view the law and the prophets? Acts 24:14; 28:17.
“Many take it for granted that they are Christians, simply because they subscribe to certain theological tenets. But they have not brought the truth into practical life. They have not believed and loved it, therefore they have not received the power and grace that come through sanctification of the truth. Men may profess faith in the truth; but if it does not make them sincere, kind, patient, forbearing, heavenly-minded, it is a curse to its possessors, and through their influence it is a curse to the world.
“The righteousness which Christ taught is conformity of heart and life to the revealed will of God.”—The Desire of Ages, pp. 309, 310.
Friday
September 2
PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. How are we warned against thinking God accepts partial obedience?
2. Explain the blindness of the Jewish leaders in Christ’s days.
3. Does Matthew 22:36–40 harmonize with the Ten Commandments?
4. Why was Paul’s appreciation of God’s law transformed?
5. What is missing in all who feel that mere belief in religion is enough?