Participants:
Series Code: IIWSS
Program Code: IIWSS024018S
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00:00 [uplifting music]
00:11 [uplifting music] 00:15 >>Eric Flickinger: Welcome to "Sabbath School," 00:16 brought to you by It Is Written. 00:18 We're delighted to have you joining us again this week 00:21 as we look at lesson number 5. 00:23 We are in for a real treat. 00:26 But before we begin, let's start with prayer. 00:29 Father, we wanna thank You for being with us today 00:31 and giving us an opportunity to delve more deeply 00:34 into one of the greatest themes in the history of the world: 00:37 the great controversy. 00:39 As we continue our journey, we ask for Your blessings 00:42 and we thank You in Jesus' name. 00:43 >>Mark Finley: Amen. >>Eric: Amen. 00:45 With us again this week is Pastor Mark Finley. 00:48 He is the author of this quarter's 00:50 "Sabbath School" lesson, 00:51 and he is also an international speaker, 00:53 author, and international evangelist. 00:56 Pastor Mark, welcome back once again. 00:58 >>Mark: It is always great to be here at It Is Written. 01:02 It's a ministry that I love, and thank you for inviting me. 01:05 >>Eric: All right, so let's delve into this lesson. 01:08 It's called "Faith Against the Odds." 01:10 We're on lesson number 5. We are making our way rapidly 01:13 through these 13 lessons that we're studying. 01:15 "Faith Against the Odds"-- 01:16 why did you call this lesson "Faith Against the Odds"? 01:21 >>Mark: During the period we know as the Dark Ages, 01:24 or the Middle Ages, 01:27 the church of God was persecuted, 01:30 and to stand with biblical faith, 01:33 they had to stand against the odds. 01:35 Because church and state had united at that time, 01:38 they were oppressed, persecuted, and to see their faithfulness 01:44 really inspires our faithfulness today. 01:47 >>Eric: So it was a very difficult time 01:48 for people to be Christians. 01:50 And we know that there are going to be some times ahead 01:52 that are also going to be very much like that, 01:54 if not worse than that. 01:56 In the introduction to this week's lesson, 01:57 you share a term with us called "the empty self." 02:02 What do you mean by this expression? 02:04 What is the empty self? 02:06 >>Mark: Well, actually, Philip Cushman, a psychologist, 02:09 coined that term, Eric, "the empty self." 02:13 And what he meant by that was that people are empty 02:17 in the sense that they lack of-- 02:19 they lack purpose; they lack meaning; 02:21 they lack direction in their life. 02:23 In particularly Western society, 02:25 they have beautiful homes; they have adequate food to eat; 02:31 they have electronics and all the luxuries of life 02:35 in the middle-class America. 02:38 And I recognize that much of America has experienced 02:41 some poverty as well, particularly in the inner city. 02:44 But Cush was speaking about the fact that you can have 02:47 material blessings but have an empty heart. 02:51 This is in contrast to the believers 02:55 in the Middle Ages. They had deep faith. 02:59 They may not have had the material possessions, 03:01 they may not have had the things that we have, 03:04 but their faith in Christ, 03:06 their confidence in the Word of God, 03:09 their belief in foundational truths of Scripture, 03:12 kept them going in spite of their circumstances. 03:16 >>Eric: So they were-- they were very full 03:18 as opposed to empty, 03:20 which we see in a lot of people today. 03:23 We know that faith is going to have to be full again 03:25 as we get closer and closer to the end of time 03:27 and the challenges that we're going to face there. 03:30 The Reformation time was a significant time. 03:35 It was a time when people had the opportunity to figure out 03:38 what they believed in, what they were living for, 03:41 and out of the Reformation came this term: "sola scriptura." 03:46 What was this expression? 03:48 What did they mean by "sola scriptura"? 03:52 And is that important for us today? 03:54 >>Mark: By "sola scriptura," the reformers meant 03:57 that the Bible and the Bible alone 03:59 became the foundation of their faith. 04:02 So as the reformers went through Scripture, 04:05 they would read passages, for example-- 04:08 and we have this in Sunday's lesson-- 04:11 they would read passages like in Psalm 119, verse 103, 04:17 that says this: 04:19 "How sweet are Your words to my taste, 04:22 sweeter than honey to my mouth!" 04:26 Or Psalm 119, verse 147: 04:30 "I rise before the dawning of the morning, 04:33 and cry for help; I hope in Your word." 04:37 So the reformers meant by "sola scriptura" 04:42 that the Word of God was sweet, 04:43 that hope was in the Word of God, 04:46 and that they believed in the bedrock principles 04:48 of the Word of God rather than tradition. 04:52 I think this can be important today, 04:54 because as you look at what's happening 04:57 in society today, 04:58 there is the tendency, even by Christian churches, 05:02 to have cultural accommodation, 05:05 to feel pressured by the world around you. 05:08 And you know, Scripture says in Romans 12, verse 1, 05:12 "Be not conformed to this world, 05:14 but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." 05:17 That was the Reformation theology. 05:19 >>Eric: And that renewing of the mind helped 05:22 the Reformation continue to move forward 05:25 and to become even bigger and greater. 05:27 And today, we need that in our lives 05:30 to help us through difficult times. 05:31 At the end of Monday's lesson, 05:33 you share something about William Tyndale 05:35 and the significance of his contribution there. 05:38 It's an interesting passage. 05:40 Share a little bit more about why you included that 05:42 in Monday's lesson. 05:43 >>Mark: Well, you know, in Revelation 14, verse 13, 05:46 it says, "Blessed are the dead [that] die in the Lord 05:48 "from henceforth.... And their works do follow them." 05:51 And the reformers lived not only for their day 05:54 but for our day, because the translation of the Bible, 05:58 particularly that Tyndale made, impacts every one of us today 06:02 as we read the King James Version 06:03 or the New King James Version of the Bible. 06:06 When the King James Version of the Bible celebrated 06:10 its 400th anniversary, 06:13 it had already printed one billion copies. 06:17 It's just staggering. 06:19 Millions of people have been impacted by that. 06:22 Now, here's the interesting thing: 06:24 76% of the King James Version of the Bible is based 06:28 on Tyndale's translation; 06:30 83% is based-- in the New Testament-- 06:33 is based on Tyndale's translation. 06:35 So when we look at the concept in Monday's lesson 06:39 of passing on God's Word, 06:40 the reformers lived not only for their generation but for ours. 06:44 And every time we pick up the Bible, 06:45 we pick it up with this sense of sacredness. 06:48 When Tyndale was burned at the stake, he prayed, 06:52 "Lord, open the king of England's eyes." 06:55 Four years after that, 06:56 the King James Version of the Bible was translated. 06:59 >>Eric: So we're seeing, we're benefiting 07:01 from what God impressed Tyndale to do back in those days. 07:05 And even though he gave his life for it, we are 07:07 the beneficiaries of that-- >>Mark: Right. 07:09 >>Eric: ...and we are able to spread that message 07:11 and that encouragement and that light throughout the world. 07:14 >>Mark: You know, the Bible came at a great cost. 07:16 And every time I pick up the Word of God, 07:17 I think about the fact that this is not only 07:20 the inspired Word of God, 07:22 but it was given to us by men who shed their blood for it, 07:26 and that I wanna treat the Word of God sacredly 07:29 and allow its inspiration to impact my own heart, 07:33 my own life. 07:34 >>Eric: Very powerful. Let me ask you this question. 07:37 Let's talk about David for a moment. 07:39 You talk about David in the lesson. 07:41 What was his attitude toward God's Word? 07:43 And how does that really apply to our lives today? 07:47 >>Mark: You know, when you read the Psalms, 07:48 particularly Psalm 119-- we quoted a little earlier-- 07:52 you find this passion that David had. 07:54 You find this commitment to the Word of God. 07:57 He's writing things like, "How sweet are Your words." 08:00 He's writing things like, "I hope in Your word." 08:03 He's writing things like, the word of God is "precious," 08:06 the word of God is "eternal." 08:08 David had a passion for the Word of God. 08:10 And I think this was illustrated in the life of the reformers. 08:14 If we are going to get through 08:16 the last days of earth's history, 08:18 it's gonna require a passion for the Word of God 08:21 because the track of truth and the track of error 08:23 are gonna be so close 08:25 that unless the mind is worked by the Holy Spirit 08:29 leading us to the Word of God, it'll be so easy to be deceived. 08:34 And I think my appeal to those who are watching 08:39 our lesson today and studying along with it 08:41 is anchor your mind in the Word of God; 08:45 saturate your life with the Word of God. 08:47 As it says in Jeremiah 15, verse 16, 08:51 "Thy words were found, and I did eat them; 08:54 ...[they were] joy and rejoicing [to my] heart]." 08:57 The Word of God is a living word. 08:59 It changes our lives. 09:01 >>Eric: The Word of God is a living word. 09:03 It changes our lives. That's what we need today. 09:07 That's what the world needs today. 09:09 We're going through this quarter looking at 09:11 this great struggle, this great controversy 09:13 between light and darkness, between truth and error, 09:17 goodness and evil. 09:19 And we're getting a good picture of it through our daily lessons. 09:23 But you've also written a companion book 09:26 to this quarter's "Sabbath School" lesson. 09:28 Share with us a little bit more about that companion book 09:30 and why it would be worthwhile to pick that up. 09:34 >>Mark: Well, the companion book is entitled 09:36 "The War Between Good and Evil." 09:40 There's only so much you can do, Eric, 09:44 with the writing of the lessons because you're limited by space. 09:48 But in the companion book, 09:50 I use many more illustrations to illustrate the lessons. 09:54 We look at the spiritual depth 09:58 in each lesson, add more Bible texts. 10:01 It's particularly good for teachers. 10:03 So for anyone who's studying the "Sabbath School" lesson, 10:07 the companion book will be a rich resource to each of you, 10:11 be a tremendous blessing for you as you open 10:15 the Word of God and study the "Sabbath School" lesson. 10:19 >>Eric: So that "Sabbath School" lesson stands on its own, 10:22 but there is more, and that's in that companion book. 10:28 You want to pick up that companion book; 10:29 you want to make sure that you continue 10:31 to study along with us as we go week by week 10:34 through this quarter. 10:36 You can also pick up the book "The Great Controversy" itself 10:38 that goes right along with this quarter's lesson, 10:42 and you'll get even more out of it. 10:44 And our hope and prayer is that not only are you 10:46 going to be encouraged by what you learn 10:49 and what you see here, 10:51 but you're also going to share this with others. 10:54 As we get closer and closer to Christ's return, 10:57 more and more people are going to be looking for answers 11:01 to what's happening in the world today. 11:03 We see that there are wars and rumors of wars, 11:05 there are famines and pestilences 11:07 just as Jesus said that there would be, 11:09 and there is also a great hunger for truth, 11:12 a desire to understand what's happening in the world. 11:17 And this great controversy theme 11:19 that we are studying week by week 11:21 really transcends all of that 11:23 and helps people to get a picture of what is going on. 11:28 So if you know somebody who is discouraged, 11:31 who is facing some challenges-- 11:32 either health or financial or relationship challenges 11:35 or spiritual challenges-- 11:37 this will give them the encouragement that they need. 11:40 We're going to be right back as we continue studying more 11:43 into the challenges that people faced back in the Middle Ages. 11:48 We'll be right back. 11:50 [uplifting music] 11:54 >>Announcer: If you'd like to deepen your understanding 11:55 of the powerful themes brought out in this program, 11:58 we invite you to explore the book 12:00 "The Great Controversy." 12:01 For more information, simply text the code "GC24" to 71392. 12:06 This book delves into critical end-time themes, 12:09 offering profound insights into historical events, 12:12 Bible prophecy, and spiritual preparation 12:15 essential for today's unique challenges. 12:18 Discover how "The Great Controversy" 12:19 can illuminate your path in these uncertain times. 12:24 >>John Bradshaw: From the beasts of the land 12:26 to the fish of the sea, 12:28 from the birds of the air to the tiniest insects, 12:31 everywhere we look in nature, we see selfishness, 12:36 creatures harming other creatures in order to survive. 12:39 The Bible tells us that God is love. 12:42 But if the God of love created the earth and everything in it, 12:45 how did the world come to operate on principles 12:47 so inconsistent with His character? 12:51 Join me for "The Selfishness Paradigm," 12:53 part 1 of It Is Written's series "Prequel of the Bible." 12:58 We'll begin to unravel how a world created 13:00 by a God of love could come to function 13:03 on a system that is so unloving, and we'll look to the Bible 13:08 and see how God is going to restore 13:10 all things to the way they're meant to be. 13:13 Don't miss "The Selfishness Paradigm," part 1 13:16 of our five-part series "Prequel of the Bible" 13:19 on It Is Written TV. 13:24 >>John: Hi, I'm Pastor John Bradshaw 13:25 from It Is Written, 13:27 inviting you to join me 13:29 for "Finishing Strong," 13:31 a four-part series designed especially for students 13:35 starting on May 6. 13:37 We're going to open the Bible together. 13:40 We're gonna look at encouraging Bible stories. 13:42 We'll discuss the cross of Christ and the love of God 13:46 and what to do with discouragement. 13:48 We'll discover that God is a forgiving God, 13:51 and we'll look at stories, insightful stories, 13:54 that will encourage us to finish strong. 13:57 There'll be beautiful music. 13:58 We'll answer Bible questions 14:00 that have come in from around the country. 14:02 Now, to participate in "Finishing Strong," 14:05 be sure that you go to finishingstrong.live. 14:08 You'll find more information there. 14:10 Or you can participate on the It Is Written YouTube 14:13 and the It Is Written Facebook page. 14:16 "Finishing Strong"-- 14:17 grab all the students you can 14:19 and join us for the journey 14:21 starting May 6. 14:24 [uplifting music] 14:29 >>Eric: Welcome back to "Sabbath School," 14:30 brought to you by It Is Written. 14:32 We are continuing our study of lesson number 5 this week, 14:36 "Faith Against the Odds." 14:38 Pastor Mark, we've looked at some of the challenges 14:42 that people have gone through in the past 14:44 and how we are benefiting from that today. 14:46 When we take a look at certain Bible passages, 14:49 some of them are easier to understand, 14:51 and some of them are a little bit more difficult 14:53 to understand. In fact, even Peter says 14:55 there are some things that Paul writes 14:56 that are difficult to understand. 14:58 We don't want to be led astray when we come across 15:01 some Bible passage that doesn't seem to fit with others, 15:05 but it sure is clear in our own minds. 15:08 How do we make sure that we stay on the right path 15:10 and heading in the right direction? 15:12 >>Mark: You know, Eric, I'm thinking of a discussion 15:14 that John Knox, the Scottish reformer, 15:16 had with Mary the Queen of Scots. 15:19 And so, John Knox was encouraging her 15:22 to study the Bible. He was talking about the Word of God, 15:25 and Mary the Queen of Scots, looks at him, and she says, 15:29 "But, Pastor Knox, you say one thing; 15:32 "the priests say another thing. 15:34 "You say one thing about the Bible; 15:36 they interpret it a different way. How shall I know?" 15:38 And John Knox looks at her, and he says to her, 15:43 "My Queen, you shall not understand anything 15:47 "that the Holy Spirit has not written. 15:49 "But if the Holy Spirit has written it, 15:51 "you shall understand it, and the Spirit that wrote it 15:54 will enable you to understand it." 15:56 And, you know, that may seem very simple, but it's true. 15:59 If we approach the Bible with an open heart, 16:03 desiring to do what God says, 16:06 the Spirit of God interprets the scripture for our mind. 16:10 For example, in John 7, verse 17, it says, 16:13 "If any man"--or woman--"will do His"--Christ's--"will, 16:18 he shall know the doctrine." 16:19 So, understanding the Bible first begins 16:22 in the--in the heart before it begins in the mind. 16:26 It begins with a desire to do God's will. 16:29 And Christ Himself has made these promises. 16:32 We look at this in Tuesday's lesson 16:35 in John 14, verse 25 and 26. The scripture says this. 16:42 Jesus says, "These things I have spoken to you 16:45 "while being present with you. 16:47 "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, 16:50 "whom the Father will send in my name, 16:52 "He will teach you all things, 16:54 "and bring to...remembrance all things that I have said 16:57 to you." 16:59 So Jesus Himself says that the Holy Spirit 17:04 will be our teacher. 17:05 So when you take the Bible and you open it, 17:08 it's the Spirit of God that is speaking to you. 17:10 That's why the Bible should never be opened without prayer. 17:14 In John 16, verse 13 to 15-- 17:18 and, Eric, do you want to read those, 17:20 John 16, verse 13 to 15? 17:22 >>Eric: Sure. Jesus says, "However, when He, 17:24 "the Spirit of truth, has come, 17:26 "He will guide you into all truth; 17:29 "[and] He will not speak on His own authority, 17:31 "but whatever He hears He will speak; 17:33 "and He will tell you things to come. 17:35 "He will glorify me, 17:36 "for He will take of what is mine and declare it to you. 17:40 "All things that the Father has are mine. 17:43 "Therefore I said that He will take of mine 17:45 and declare it to you." 17:47 >>Mark: You know, in the Tuesday's lesson 17:49 under the text that you've just read, 17:53 I've written this paragraph: 17:54 "What's so powerful in these verses--" 17:57 that is, in the verses in John that talk to us 18:00 about the Holy Spirit guiding us when we read the Word of God 18:03 and the Holy Spirit teaching us-- 18:04 "What's so powerful in these verses 18:07 "is the assurance that the same Holy Spirit 18:09 "that inspired Bible writers guides us as we read Scripture. 18:13 "He is the divine interpreter of divine truth. 18:17 "Unfortunately, many [confessed] Christians 18:19 "today downplay the supernatural element 18:22 in the Bible and exaggerate the human element." 18:24 So we believe that the Bible is inspired by God, 18:29 and the same Holy Spirit that inspired the Bible 18:32 interprets Scripture for us 18:35 as we read it with an open heart desiring to do God's will. 18:38 >>Eric: So even though we may come across passages 18:40 that seem difficult, they're not impossible to understand. 18:44 If we are saturating our minds and our hearts 18:47 with the Word of God and we're allowing 18:48 the Holy Spirit to guide us, 18:50 we can compare scripture with scripture. 18:52 We can let the Bible be its own interpreter. 18:54 The Holy Spirit can guide us through that. 18:56 And really, the Reformation was a wonderful time 18:59 of enlightenment for Christians. 19:04 We learned more about the Bible, and we benefited from that. 19:07 >>Mark: You know, I had a professor once in college, 19:10 and we were talking in class about-- 19:13 he was a religion professor-- we were talking about 19:15 the things in the Bible we don't understand. 19:17 He said, "Well, this is what I do." 19:18 He said, "I have a little mental jar in my mind, 19:22 "and I write the things I don't understand on a piece of paper, 19:25 and I put them on a shelf in this mental jar in my mind." 19:29 He said, "I don't let the things I don't understand 19:32 keep me from doing the things I do understand." 19:35 And he said, "Do you know what happens? 19:36 "I'm reading the Bible one day, 19:38 "and that text that I didn't understand-- 19:41 "I had read it many times-- it just becomes clearer to me, 19:44 and one text explains another text." 19:46 So I think a lot of people get confused 19:49 because they are focused on what they don't understand 19:53 rather than doing what they do understand. 19:54 And Jesus, in John 12, verse 35, says, 19:57 "Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you." 20:01 So we follow the light; 20:03 we walk in the truth God has revealed, 20:06 knowing that God will reveal more truth. 20:08 >>Eric: So, speaking of walking in the light-- 20:10 and that's an important part of the Christian walk-- 20:13 the reformers had a motto: "Christ alone, grace alone." 20:19 "Sola scriptura" we already talked about. 20:21 If we're talking about Christ alone and grace alone, 20:24 sometimes people will take these phrases, 20:27 concepts, ideas and come to the conclusion 20:29 that if we are living and walking in grace alone, 20:34 that we don't have to worry about actions, 20:37 works--if I may use that word-- 20:40 that those are separate from the Christian walk. 20:43 I have a sense that that's not entirely accurate. 20:46 >>Mark: Yeah, not only is it not entirely accurate, 20:49 it's false. [laughs] 20:51 You know, the reformers believed that the Word of God 20:57 pointed out that Christ alone was our Savior. 21:00 But if you come to Christ alone, 21:02 you want to live the Christ-like life alone. 21:06 And, you know, the passage that some people use is Ephesians 2. 21:09 It's a wonderful passage. Now, we need to make clear 21:11 that we are saved by grace through faith. 21:16 There is--our human works do not save us. 21:20 We are not saved by our works. 21:23 We're saved through the grace of Christ. 21:25 And the Bible makes that plain in Ephesians, chapter 2. 21:28 And we begin there with verse 8: 21:30 "For by grace you have been saved through faith, 21:33 and...not of yourselves; [it's] the gift of God." 21:36 So salvation is a gift that comes to us 21:40 through the death of Christ on the cross. 21:42 When He died on the cross, 21:43 He bore the guilt and shame and condemnation of our sin. 21:47 Then it says, verse 9, 21:48 "Not of works, lest anyone should boast." 21:50 But look at the next verse: 21:51 "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus 21:55 "for good works, 21:57 which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." 22:01 Salvation by grace leads us to live obedient lives. 22:08 Somebody said, "If you are faithful to Christ, 22:12 you can do whatever you please." 22:14 And the question is, no, you do whatever He pleases. 22:18 >>Eric: Yeah, powerful, powerful. 22:20 Now, we have a--there's on one side of the fence, 22:24 you have people who kind of slip 22:27 into a lackadaisical Christian life. 22:32 But on the other side, you have those who fall into legalism, 22:36 and those may not be complete opposites, 22:38 but they--they're both challenging. 22:41 Help us understand what legalism looks like. 22:44 What's the difference between legalism 22:47 and living a life according to God's will? 22:50 >>Mark: Well, first, let's talk about what legalism is not. 22:53 You can never be a legalist by doing what God says, okay? 22:58 So you're not a legalist if you do exactly what God says. 23:00 Legalism has to do with the belief 23:04 that my works legally justify me before God, 23:09 that my works are the means of and merit for my salvation. 23:15 If you take that position, you live the Christian life in fear 23:20 because you never can be good enough. 23:21 You live the Christian life in guilt because you are 23:24 not as perfect as you so desire. 23:27 So legalism has to do with a focus on me. 23:30 Salvation by grace through faith 23:33 has to do with a focus on Christ: 23:36 "Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith." 23:39 Philippians 1:6--"Being confident of this very thing, 23:42 that He [that] has begun a good work in you will [finish] it." 23:45 So the basis of the Christian life is looking to Jesus. 23:50 I find in Him the one who lived the perfect life 23:53 that I should have lived. 23:54 I find in Him the one who died the death I should have died. 23:58 I find in Him my righteousness, my salvation. 24:02 So my focus is upon Christ. 24:05 But when my focus is upon Him 24:08 and I see how much He's done for me, 24:10 joyfully, happily, I desire to serve Him. 24:14 The difference between that and legalism is 24:17 legalism focuses on myself, my works, my efforts, 24:22 and if you do that, you're frustrated 24:24 because you can never be good enough in your strength. 24:27 >>Eric: You know, we in and of ourselves can't be perfect. 24:30 Now, Christ in us, He can-- 24:33 He can change our lives. >>Mark: Right. 24:35 >>Eric: He can turn us into the person that He desires us to be, 24:37 but that's Him working, not us working. 24:42 Let's talk for just a moment in the few minutes 24:44 that we have left here about salvation by grace alone. 24:50 Are there any dangers in believing that 24:53 we are saved by grace alone? 24:55 First of all, are we saved by grace alone? 24:57 What does that mean? 24:59 And how might we stumble into dangers 25:03 if we don't understand that? 25:04 >>Mark: Sure, we are saved by grace alone through faith. 25:08 Faith does not save us, 25:10 but faith receives the salvation that Christ has provided for us 25:14 in Calvary's cross. 25:16 So my faith reaches up, and I say, "Lord, I believe it. 25:21 "I believe that when You died on the cross, You bore my guilt. 25:25 "You bore my shame. I believe that Your righteousness is mine. 25:28 "I believe that Your priesthood in heaven 25:32 and intercession provides for me the strength that I need." 25:36 Hebrews 4 says, 25:39 "Come boldly"--or confidently-- "to the throne of grace," 25:41 that you can "find grace [and] help" for those-- 25:43 for "in time of need." So, grace enables me; 25:49 my faith in God's grace enables me to recognize 25:53 His salvation on my behalf. 25:55 What becomes dangerous is if I fail to recognize that 26:01 the grace of God is not license to sin. 26:06 "There is...no condemnation 26:08 to those [that] are in Christ Jesus." 26:10 Grace frees me from condemnation, 26:14 but grace does not give me license 26:16 to do whatever I please. 26:19 My works are the result of God's grace working within me. 26:25 It becomes dangerous when I say, "Don't worry about works." 26:30 Works are the fruit of faith that receives God's grace. 26:35 Works are the result of salvation, 26:39 not the means of salvation. 26:40 As somebody said, "Apple trees produce apples 26:44 "because they're apple trees, 26:45 not in order to become apple trees." 26:47 >>Eric: Well said, and I think very easy to understand, 26:50 but it's true. There are so many people 26:51 who get mixed up on that today. 26:53 And by the grace of God, 26:55 today's lesson will help with that. 26:57 And we hope that today's lesson has helped you 27:00 as we continue our journey through "The Great Controversy." 27:03 We are looking at "Faith Against the Odds" this week, 27:06 and next week we're going to be back once again 27:08 as we continue our journey through this incredible theme, 27:11 this incredible book, "The Great Controversy," 27:14 that will help us to understand better 27:16 where we are in earth's history, what lies ahead, 27:20 and how we can be prepared for it. 27:22 So we look forward to seeing you again next time 27:25 as you join us once again here on "Sabbath School," 27:27 brought to you by It Is Written. 27:30 [uplifting music] 28:23 [uplifting music] 28:26 [Captions provided by Aberdeen Captioning www.abercap.com] |
Revised 2024-04-24