December 19–25

This weekly feature is dedicated to Adventists who are looking for biblical insights into the topics discussed in the Sabbath School lesson quarterly. We post articles which address each lesson as presented in the Sabbath School Bible Study Guide, including biblical commentary on them. We hope you find this material helpful and that you will come to know Jesus and His revelation of Himself in His word in profound biblical ways.

 

Lesson 13: “Heaven, Education, and Eternal Learning”

With that title, you would think that this week would be upbeat and hopeful, but after three days of talking about things like the fate of the dead and referring to some wonderful Biblical promises of eternal life found in the books of John, 1 Timothy, 1 John, Jude, and Titus, the author then tears down our hope. The lesson asks,

“The important question for us in all this is: What does it take to be part of this new existence? How do we get there? How can we be sure we are going to be part of it? What things in our life, if any, could stand in the way of our being part of what God has promised us through Jesus?”

Let’s break this paragraph down into the 4 individual questions.

1. What does it take to be part of this new existence?

The new existence is eternal life. And what does the Bible say about how to get it? Faith in Jesus. When the Philippian jailer asked how he could be saved, was he given a list of doctrines to obey? No! He was told to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

2. How do we get there? 

It is by Grace alone. Through faith alone. In Jesus alone. That is it. That was the lesson from the Reformation and contrary to Ellen White’s declaration, the Reformation did not fail to go far enough. If anything is added to those three simple, declarative sentences, it is not the gospel. (1 Corinthians 15:3, 4; Galatians 1:6-9)

3. How can we be sure we are going to be part of it?

We can be sure of it if our faith is in Jesus, not ourselves and our performance. If we rely on ourselves to keep yourself saved, then we have a lot to worry about. But if we trust Jesus and His Word, then salvation is certain because He promised it, and God cannot lie.

4. What things in our life, if any, could stand in the way of our being part of what God has promised us through Jesus?

This one is a little trickier. It isn’t quite clear if it means keeping us from getting saved or if it means removing us once we are saved.

If you are trusting in Jesus, then you are a part of what God promised. But—and here is where so many trip up—if you are then trusting in your own works to keep you there, you are not trusting in Jesus but in yourself.

Look at it in a mathematical way: if your salvation depends on Jesus 99.999% and on you and your behavior only 0.001%, you are still lost. There is nothing we can do or be that will measure up. Without Jesus, we are lost in sin and dead in that sin. We can believe in Him with the faith that He provides, and that is all we can do. God’s perfection demands perfection or death, and we are unable to ever “do” perfection. In fact, we came into this world already lost and dead in our sin (Ephesians 2:1, 5; Colossians 2:13). Our spirits were dead, separated from God’s Spirit as our legacy from Adam (Romans 5:12-21). Only life in Jesus makes us alive in Him, and there is nothing we can contribute aside from faith.

If Jesus, in His own words, promised that faith in Him gives eternal life, who are we to say that even though He died for our sin to make our dead spirits alive in Him, if we are not quite good enough, then He will throw us back out?

That is exactly what is being said here: “What things in our life, if any, could stand in the way…” is a real hope killer. 

Thank God that our eternal life does not depend on us or what we do!

Just a little farther into the lesson, there is something that starts out hopeful:

“The key for us now is to hold on to our faith, trust in God’s promises, live up to the light that we have, and endure unto the end.”

The first two are wonderful—“trust in God’s promises” and “hold onto our faith”. But then that security is threatened by the other two mandates—“live up to the light we have” and endure to the end”.

First of all, the Bible is the entire light that we have. Nothing added to it later is valid, and we are not to hold onto anything added to the gospel (Jude 3).

And “endure to the end” may be good advice on a human level when life here on earth can be bad. There is much in life that we have to just endure, but Jesus promised life—not just living and enduring, but so much more. If that were not so, how could the martyrs die horrible deaths with songs and praise on their lips? They knew with certainty that they had eternal life.

In John 10, after Jesus said that He is the door to the sheepfold, He said in verses 9 and 10:

I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

Do you see that? He promised not only life, but abundant life, not just at some possible future time, if we are good enough until then, but now. In Christ you have life. No matter how bad your external existence may be, in Jesus you have eternal life now. It is abundant; it begins now and will never cease. That is the meaning of “eternal”, isn’t it? Even if your external, physical life is horrible, you still have that abundant life that never ends.

Now think about it. Our eternal life depends on Jesus and what He did. It does not depend on our behavior, or none of us would be saved. So how could you possibly think that anything “in your life” could possibly cancel what God has promised?

We are saved by Him and kept by Him. That much is clear in John 10:28, 29 where Jesus promised that no one can take us out of His hands. If that isn’t true how could we sing this wonderful song of trust:

Under His wings I am safely abiding,
Though the night deepens and tempests are wild,
Still I can trust Him; I know He will keep me,
He has redeemed me, and I am His child.

Under His wings, under His wings,
Who from His love can sever?
Under His wings my soul shall abide,
Safely abide forever.

Under His wings, what a refuge in sorrow!
How the heart yearningly turns to His rest!
Often when earth has no balm for my healing,
There I find comfort, and there I am blessed.

Under His wings, oh, what precious enjoyment!
There will I hide till life’s trials are o’er;
Sheltered, protected, no evil can harm me,
Resting in Jesus, I’m safe evermore. †