August 22–28

 

Lesson 9: “Developing a Winning Attitude”

This week’s lesson continues with the idea that if we could just have a good attitude, we will have a good witness. Once again it is dealing with a change in outward behavior but it never addresses the inward change that is needed first.

After referring to the stories of the Canaanite woman who persisted in begging Jesus for help for her demon possessed daughter and the Jewish woman who anointed Jesus’ feet with perfume, we are asked:

“In view of the two stories we have read above, what are the essentials of a positive winning attitude? What kind of attitude adjustments do you need, not just for witnessing but for life in general?”

and

“Look into your own heart and ask yourself about a way in which you could improve in this area.”

If an attitude adjustment is all that we need so that we can have a good witness, then all it takes is a good self-improvement seminar, some hard work, and real determination. 

But true witnessing is not that superficial—simply a matter of being “nice” enough that we can talk people into the Kingdom. Witnessing for Jesus is not about convincing others to believe and accept a particular set of doctrines; rather, it is telling them about the marvelous grace of God that changed us from death to life, from hopelessness to hope, from sin to eternal life. We cannot tell people what Jesus has done for us unless He has actually done something for—and in—us. Our dead spirits have to be made alive in Him in order for us to have that good news to share with others. Remember, to witness about something, you first have to have seen or experienced it yourself.

This quote from the lesson illustrates this misunderstanding of just what it takes to have an effective witness:

“Ellen G. White’s statement on the importance of positive relationships is remarkable. “If we would humble ourselves before God, and be kind and courteous and tenderhearted and pitiful [full of pity], there would be one hundred conversions to the truth where now there is only one.”—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 9, p. 189.

I think we would all agree that a “friendly” witness is more useful than an argumentative one, but again, what is the use of being a likable person if you are not made alive in Christ and have something real to share? Without that, all you will accomplish is what she meant by “conversions”—that of talking people into believing unique Adventist doctrines and joining that denomination.

If all you are doing is sharing doctrines and your unique beliefs, then a good attitude might be useful to get people to listen. But without the new birth in you and in them, all that will be changed is their outward behavior and their church membership. But membership in a church will not make you alive in Christ or save you.

In Wednesday’s lesson, we come to the heart of the gospel:

“By faith, you are accepted in Christ, who knows all about the things that others might not know anything about. Yes, He knows all of that, and, yet, He accepts you anyway, not because of your own goodness but because of His.”

Here is a simple truth, one that is so simple that it is often overlooked—our ‘goodness’ is not what covered our sins but rather it is Jesus’ goodness in our place. We cannot earn it and there is nothing we can do to deserve it or to hang on to it. It must be noted, though, that the quote above does not mention that God gives us this acceptance when we hear the gospel of our salvation and believe (Eph. 1:13-14). 

The Bible has a lot of information and instruction on how to live out our faith, but even if we follow those instructions completely, our goodness is still as filthy rags because it still falls short of God’s perfection. God sees Jesus’ perfection in place of our lack and gives us eternal life on His merits because of our faith in Him. And He does not then demand that we have to be good enough to maintain it; rather, God holds on to us and keeps us safe in Him (John 10:27-29; Jude 1:24; Romans 14:4).

Sadly, the lesson misses the point of this change in us when it says this:

“Jesus’ attitude was not, “Do whatever you please. It’s all right. I still accept you.” His attitude was, rather, “No matter what you have done, I am willing to forgive you and provide you with power to change.””

Does God give us the power to change ourselves? If so, what does it mean that we are not perfect yet? 

This quote ignores the role of the Holy Spirit in us. Yes, we do try to change for the better, and the New Testament is full of loving instruction on changes for which we are to strive after we are born again; but the only thing we have the power to change is our outward behavior, and then, only sometimes. It is the Holy Spirit working in us when we have believed and have been again that affects any real change. We are renewed by His work, not our own; this is what we call sanctification. 

He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior (Titus 3:5, 6). 

In Thursday’s lesson, we come up against the worst kind of denial of the grace of the gospel:

“The New Testament writers never emphasize love over truth. They beautifully blend love and truth, grace and law, compassion and honesty.”

But does the New Testament actually blend law and grace? 

In Romans, starting with chapter 3, Paul builds a long argument against that idea. Beginning with verse 21 he builds on the idea that the Law and grace are not the same thing, and he points out the fact that the Law did nothing to make us right with God, but rather brought only death. 

In chapter 6 he shows that just because we are no longer under the Law we still have no excuse to live in sin but rather, we are now to live in Christ. 

He further emphasizes that fact in chapter 7 by saying that trying to combine the old (law) with the new (grace) is the same thing as committing adultery by “being joined” to someone else while still married. Then he goes on to say that the Law actually brings death, not life, and ends the chapter with the heart-felt cry of despair in verse 24: 

“Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?”

Chapter 8 starts with the resounding declaration that in Christ, we are no longer under condemnation! He points out that God did “what the Law could not do” by sending Jesus to pay the price for our sins. Then he says that “living by the flesh” (the law) brings death; only by “living by the spirit” (grace) do we have life.

Although there is some disagreement over the author of Hebrews, even so, its argument is in complete agreement with that in Romans. It starts in chapter 3 and builds to chapter 8 where, in the last verse, he says:

“When He said, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear.”

He says the same thing as the author of Romans—the Law is useless to bring life and has been replaced by something new—grace!

So to say that the Bible “blends grace and law” is to do serious damage to the clear message of the Bible. The law has demands for behavior and brings only death for failure. Grace has already paid the price for failure—death—and offers eternal life in exchange for faith. †