March 13–19

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 12: “Desire of Nations”

JEANIE JURA

As usual, parts of this week’s lesson are true to the Bible’s message of salvation, but mixed in with astute comments are statements that teach the Adventist gospel, not the gospel of Scripture. 

For instance, in the introduction to the week, we see this: “We must not think that our own grace and merits will save us; the grace of Christ is our only hope of salvation.”

And on Monday there is this normal-sounding statement: “Those who are justified can be judged as just, only because they receive by faith the gift of God’s righteousness through the sacrifice of Christ.”

In fact, we could stop there and be in the presence of a profound statement of God’s grace in saving us by declaring us perfect through Christ. Nothing more is necessary. Nothing more even needs to be said.

Unfortunately, this good start falls apart as the author moves on to qualify and limit these true statements of God’s grace. We are asked: “Read Romans 3:21–24. What are these verses telling us about how we are saved? What hope should they give us in the judgment?”

What is this insistence, this longing to go through a judgment? Is it based in the hope of becoming good enough that we actually no longer even need a Mediator before God? If so, there is a certain amount of pride in the idea that we can actually be that good (Ephesians 2;8, 9). But if we are honest with ourselves, we also have a total lack of hope because we know we can never measure up.

And, not to quibble over words, but is all we would have in this supposed judgment only a “hope”? Where is the confidence in Christ? Where is the total reliance on His finished work on the cross and that promise of eternal life? Where is our trust in God’s truthfulness when He tells us that we are adopted into His family? Why start off so well and then cut us off at the knees by threatening judgment?

The way it is stated in the lesson it sounds like hope is used in the sense of a possibility, not a certainty; an anxious longing for the chance of salvation, not a joyous certainty of knowing that we are safe in Christ, never to be lost from His grasp (John 10:28, 29; John 6:37-40; 1 John 5:13; John 3:36). (Do you get the idea here that the disciple that Jesus loved was convinced of our assurance of salvation?!)

That kind of hope—stated only as a possibility of salvation—is directly contrary to the message of Romans 5:11:

“And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.”

If your hope is in nothing more than a possibility, a hope or hopeful longing, how could you exult in it? In fact, that kind of hope usually leads to either pride in our own goodness or else discouragement and hopelessness.

The lesson goes on with some good-sounding words: “Now, it is true we are judged by works—but not in the sense that works save us. If so, then faith is made void (Rom. 4:14). Instead, our works reveal whether we truly have been saved (James 2:18).”

But just what judgment is that? Romans 4:14 is one of a group of three verses that say much more than what that one verse tells us, so we must read it in context.

First we have to look at the setting. The first 12 verses of Romans 4 are pointing out that Abraham’s justification was based solely on faith, not his works, as it was granted to him before the only work required of him—circumcision. This explanation is followed by verses 13–15:

For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if those who are of the Law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise is nullified; for the Law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, there also is no violation.

The thought of verse 14 is continued into verse 15 which points out that “where there is no law”—before the Law was given—there was no violation of law. And, in fact, verse 15 is quite clear that the Law brings wrath, not a required pathway to maintain salvation.

The rest of Romans 4 goes on to show how it was entirely by faith, not obedience to any law, that brought Abraham’s justification and uses that to show how our salvation is also by faith alone.

As far as judgment goes for those in Christ, we know from 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 that we, the justified, purified, and glorified saved will be in a judgment—but it is not a judgment about salvation at all. 

Starting with verse 10, Paul builds the basis of this judgment starting with the only true foundation which is Jesus Christ. Verses 12 and 13 lay out the different things we build on that foundation—things that will survive, because they are of eternal value, and things that won’t because they are useless. 

Too often, we stop there and assume that because we will be judged, and because things will apparently be “burned up”, we are at risk of being lost. But that is not what it says. Verses 14 and 15 make it clear just what sort of judgment it is. 

If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

We will be given eternal rewards based on what we build on that foundation of Jesus Christ. This is the “treasure in heaven” Jesus referred to in places like Matthew 6:20 and 19:21 as well as in numerous other places in the four gospels. But even if we have built little, or nothing, we will still be saved according to 1 Corinthians 3:15.

This passage is often misunderstood because it is taken out of context—a misuse which is very obvious in this from the lesson: “The deciding factor in the judgment is, who has received and continues to receive forgiveness by having faith in Jesus?”

Once we receive that forgiveness, not only are we totally forgiven, but we are made alive in Him (Colossians 2:13), we are saved (Romans 10:9); we have (present tense) eternal life (1 John 5:13; John 5:24; John 6:47, 54); we will not even come into judgment (John 3:18); we are sealed in Him by the Holy Spirit with a guarantee of salvation (Ephesians 1:13, 14); nothing can separate us from God (Romans 8:38, 39), and God Himself keeps us safe by establishing us (keeping us) in Him (2 Corinthians 1:21, 22).

Notice that last one—it is God who keeps us, not we ourselves or our behavior. If it relied on our goodness, on our walk and works, we would be without hope, because our best is still nothing before God (Isaiah 64:6). But when we rely on God to keep us, we can stop trying to be good enough and rest in His care to keep us. That resting does not mean that we don’t try to live for Him and to walk with Him; it simply means that we do it out of gratitude, not in an effort to stay saved.

As for the certainty of that salvation, look at Romans 10:8-11:

But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.” 

How much more certain can you get? When you believe, you ARE saved—not by trying to be good enough There is no waiting with fear for some future judgment to see if you measured up. It isn’t a process that is started and then left up to you to finish, with the implied threat that if you still don’t measure up, you could lose it all at the end. 

God, who cannot lie, said so Himself. In what is called the High Priestly Prayer in John 17, Jesus said to His Father in verse 3, “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” This is a simple declarative sentence that states the simple condition of eternal life—knowing—believing in—Jesus.

So, we should remember that 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 is not talking about judgment for salvation but only about rewards for those who are already saved. 

And that is not the only place that the Bible assures us that we will not fall under judgment for salvation. One of the most beloved and well-known verses in the Bible is John 3:16. But when you stop with that verse, you miss a lot. Once again, without context, we miss the point. Read John 3:16–18:

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Verse 18 assures us that when we believe, we have eternal life and will not be judged. Whoever does not believe in Jesus has already been judged for refusing to believe. These are two simple statements with such profound promise and assurance!

As fallen, sinful, spiritually dead humans, we deserved death. But now that we are saved, we will not come into judgment. Why? Because Jesus already took that judgment on Himself, was found guilty of our sin, and paid the ultimate price of death in our place. 

That is the meaning of a substitutionary death, of propitiation (Romans 3:25; Hebrews 2:17; 1 John 2:2 and 4:10). If we are to be judged for our sin in the future, that would mean that Jesus’ death for our sin was not sufficient. And if He could not make adequate payment for sin, how could we possibly do what He could not? †