Know: Explain how the law, while not giving life, protects and points us to Christ.
Feel: Nurture a love for the law as it is reflected in the sacrificial system and the foundation of God’s kingdom.
Do: Submit to the law’s discipline as it leads us to the One who writes His law on our hearts.
Learning Outline:
Know: Submitting to Discipline
In what ways is the law a blessing as it serves as guard and disciplinarian?
What relationship do believers in Christ have to the law?
How are the requirements of the law fulfilled in us?
Feel: Loving the Law
How do we come to love the law by reflecting on the depths to which the Father and Son went to ensure our salvation?
How does the sacrifice of Christ illustrate the great value that God places on His beautiful, holy, and eternal law?
Do: Written on Our Hearts
As we see the cost that Christ has paid to meet the law’s requirements on our behalf, how do we respond?
How do we cooperate as God writes His laws on our hearts?
What part does faith play in the fulfillment of the law in our hearts?
Summary: While the law acts as a guard and disciplinarian, it points us to Christ. By submitting to the Father’s will, Christ fulfilled the requirements of the law. By living His life, we allow God to write the law on our hearts.
Learning Cycle
STEP 1—Motivate
Key Concept for Spiritual Growth: Without the law of God, human beings would not know what sin is or what God expects of them. However, keeping the law requires more than mere knowledge; it necessitates power that comes only from the Lawgiver, dispensed through His Christ.
Just for Teachers: Share the following in your own words. Some of the students may remember this iconic commercial and its unforgettable tagline.
Many years ago an auto commercial captured the fancy of the national audience, no doubt because of the simple yet profound message it delivered. The commercial featured a woman driving a vehicle and thinking what it would be like to cross the lines on the highway and “go for broke.” She remembers her childhood days when she would “color outside the lines” of the figures in her coloring book.
The fantasy comes to an abrupt end when the voice of her kindergarten teacher jolts her back to reality. What did the teacher say? “Stay between the lines. The lines are our friends.”
Consider This: Ask the class why some people are fascinated by life outside the lines, while others obsess about staying within them. How can we keep God’s law without becoming legalists?
STEP 2—Explore
Just for Teachers: The Hebrews were selected by God to be His representatives on earth, leading others to Him by the example of faith and connection with God that they lived. However, that didn’t always work out as planned.
Bible Commentary
I. Legal Righteousness (Read Galatians 3:8–10, 15 and Mark 7:1–7.)
The law given by God to Moses was very detailed. Specific blessings were attached to the keeping of it, such as this one: “Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God” (Deut. 28:1, 2, NKJV). Who wouldn’t want a blessing like that?
But God didn’t stop at the enunciation of blessings that would attend obedience to His laws; He also listed a number of curses for disobedience, such as this one: “Cursed shall you be in the city, and cursed shall you be in the country” (vs. 16, NKJV). Because any deviation from the law could bring on the curse of God, the Israelites took great pains to “keep the law.” By doing so, they met its legal stipulations. Lawkeepers possessed a “legal righteousness.”
Eventually, God’s people added more laws than even God had given. They did this in order to be sure that the laws God gave were kept, or at least that was their idea. The Israelites were on a mission to master God’s “dos and don’ts.”
Consider This: How did Jesus respond to the brand of tradition-cumreligion promulgated and practiced by some of the religious leaders of His day? (Mark 7:5–8). Why was this brand of religion so odious to the Son of God? What was missing from it?
II. Faith in Practice (Review Galatians 3:19–23 and Genesis 12:1–4 with your class.)
Tuesday’s study examines Paul’s “seemingly” negative statements about the moral law and its civil and ceremonial counterparts. However, Paul states unequivocally that the law does not nullify the promise of God to Abraham and his seed. It actually brings that seed to the foot of the cross of Jesus, where true justification occurs (Gal. 3:24, 25).
It bears remembering here that Paul is haggling with the Jews in an effort to share the gospel with Gentile believers, who desperately need it. Paul’s effort is in line with God’s original purpose in calling out a people, Abraham and his heirs (Gen. 12:1–4), through whom all nations of the earth were to be blessed. “The objective of God’s covenant with Abraham was the coming of the Messiah and the salvation of men.”—The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 6, p. 957.
God’s chosen people did not always follow Him in this venture. They copied the hedonistic practices of the world. In other words, the faith they practiced was one that bore little resemblance to the holiness of the God they claimed to serve.
Consider This: How does the practice of our faith impact those around us? What essential truths are we called to share with a dying world? Many in ancient Israel believed that the Abrahamic blessing was theirs and theirs alone. In what ways do we sometimes cherish our exclusivity to the detriment of those yearning for the good news of salvation?
III. A Little History (Read Galatians 3:19 and Romans 7:7–13.)
Humanity’s penchant for self-delusion is great. Hence, God does everything within His power to open our eyes to the sanctity of His laws, His ways, and His life. This was God’s objective in giving the moral law at Mount Sinai and the civil and ceremonial laws that followed.
Humans need the law because they need to know what is right and what is wrong. For instance, the Lord reiterated the law at Sinai because, after many long years in Egypt, the Hebrews lost sight of what God’s ways were.
“During the long, dark bondage in Egypt, where they dwelt amid the blackest paganism and the most depraved immorality, they well-nigh lost their understanding or awareness of God’s moral standards, and of even the most rudimentary ideas of sacrifices. And when men come to such a state, they are insensitive to sin, for it is by ‘the law’ that we have the knowledge of sin. As Paul declares elsewhere, ‘I had not known sin, but by the law’ (Rom. 7:7).” —The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 6, p. 959.
Consider This: God’s laws function in much the same way today. They help us to see in stark relief God’s view of sin and point us to the Christ, the One who has made atonement for that sin. Is there a point at which the sensitizing influence of God’s law ceases to jolt us back to reality? Explain.
STEP 3—Apply
Just for Teachers: Encourage your students to internalize the questions below. The objective is for each person to take a hard look at himself or herself.
Thought Questions:
Contemplating the law of the Lord, King David wrote the following: “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple” (Ps. 19:7, NKJV). What do you think the psalmist meant by the word perfect? What’s perfect about God’s law?
In Joshua 1:8, God counsels Joshua to keep the book of the law in his mouth and meditate on it day and night. Why was it important that the nation’s leader know, speak, and live the law? How does this admonition extend to followers of God today?
Application Questions:
Jeremiah 17:9 states: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” (NKJV). How do God’s laws help to corral the human heart?
Which of God’s laws do you have the most trouble obeying? Why?
Questions for Witnessing:
When is it appropriate to share God’s requirements with people to whom we give the gospel? Many unchurched people are often surprised by what the Bible has to say on different subjects. How do we get by their initial surprise—and at times disdain—in order to share with them the blessing and joys of obedience to God’s dictates?
Think about the ministry of Jesus to the woman at the well (John 4:1–42). What was it about Jesus that drew this woman to Him? In extending grace to the woman, did Jesus gloss over dictates of the law concerning marriage? Contrast this experience with the woman caught in adultery (John 8:1–11). Why did Jesus embrace her with His forgiveness and love rather than condemn her for her adulterous behavior? How was Jesus able to find the right balance between applying the law and applying grace?
STEP 4—Create
Just for Teachers: Share the following true story in your own words. The objective here is to see clearly the inability of the law to prevent human beings from behaving in unethical, and even criminal, ways. Emphasize our need for a deep abiding relationship with God!
We live in the age of identity theft. One woman recently came home to find a host of frantic messages left on her voicemail by a credit fraud division of a huge department store. What was the problem? Someone in another city was attempting to buy USD 1,500 worth of goods using her credit card. The would-be thief had even tried to change the cardholder’s address to her own city. Because the woman who owned the card had never lived in that city, nor had she been there in more than two years, the whole episode was quite a wake-up call.
There are international crime syndicates whose sole goal is to profit from identity theft. But how do we explain those people who try to get ahead by falsifying information about their lives? For example, a college student recently secured more than USD 45,000 worth of scholarship money under false pretenses, USD 14,000 of which came from a prestigious university. While applying for several scholarships, he falsified recommendations, claimed a perfect score on a college entrance exam, plagiarized the work of professors, listed books he had coauthored, courses he had taught, and lectures he had delivered. All of which were false.
What prompts people to commit crimes such as the ones mentioned above? Sure, there is obvious criminal pathology, but go beyond the obvious. How could a relationship with Jesus have played any significant role in changing the behavior of the identity fraudsters mentioned above? How do we quantify the difference that Jesus makes in a life?
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Key Text: Galatians 3:22
The Student Will:
Learning Outline:
Summary: While the law acts as a guard and disciplinarian, it points us to Christ. By submitting to the Father’s will, Christ fulfilled the requirements of the law. By living His life, we allow God to write the law on our hearts.
Learning Cycle
STEP 1—Motivate
Key Concept for Spiritual Growth: Without the law of God, human beings would not know what sin is or what God expects of them. However, keeping the law requires more than mere knowledge; it necessitates power that comes only from the Lawgiver, dispensed through His Christ.
Just for Teachers: Share the following in your own words. Some of the students may remember this iconic commercial and its unforgettable tagline.
Many years ago an auto commercial captured the fancy of the national audience, no doubt because of the simple yet profound message it delivered. The commercial featured a woman driving a vehicle and thinking what it would be like to cross the lines on the highway and “go for broke.” She remembers her childhood days when she would “color outside the lines” of the figures in her coloring book.
The fantasy comes to an abrupt end when the voice of her kindergarten teacher jolts her back to reality. What did the teacher say? “Stay between the lines. The lines are our friends.”
Consider This: Ask the class why some people are fascinated by life outside the lines, while others obsess about staying within them. How can we keep God’s law without becoming legalists?
STEP 2—Explore
Just for Teachers: The Hebrews were selected by God to be His representatives on earth, leading others to Him by the example of faith and connection with God that they lived. However, that didn’t always work out as planned.
Bible Commentary
I. Legal Righteousness (Read Galatians 3:8–10, 15 and Mark 7:1–7.)
The law given by God to Moses was very detailed. Specific blessings were attached to the keeping of it, such as this one: “Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God” (Deut. 28:1, 2, NKJV). Who wouldn’t want a blessing like that?
But God didn’t stop at the enunciation of blessings that would attend obedience to His laws; He also listed a number of curses for disobedience, such as this one: “Cursed shall you be in the city, and cursed shall you be in the country” (vs. 16, NKJV). Because any deviation from the law could bring on the curse of God, the Israelites took great pains to “keep the law.” By doing so, they met its legal stipulations. Lawkeepers possessed a “legal righteousness.”
Eventually, God’s people added more laws than even God had given. They did this in order to be sure that the laws God gave were kept, or at least that was their idea. The Israelites were on a mission to master God’s “dos and don’ts.”
Consider This: How did Jesus respond to the brand of tradition-cumreligion promulgated and practiced by some of the religious leaders of His day? (Mark 7:5–8). Why was this brand of religion so odious to the Son of God? What was missing from it?
II. Faith in Practice (Review Galatians 3:19–23 and Genesis 12:1–4 with your class.)
Tuesday’s study examines Paul’s “seemingly” negative statements about the moral law and its civil and ceremonial counterparts. However, Paul states unequivocally that the law does not nullify the promise of God to Abraham and his seed. It actually brings that seed to the foot of the cross of Jesus, where true justification occurs (Gal. 3:24, 25).
It bears remembering here that Paul is haggling with the Jews in an effort to share the gospel with Gentile believers, who desperately need it. Paul’s effort is in line with God’s original purpose in calling out a people, Abraham and his heirs (Gen. 12:1–4), through whom all nations of the earth were to be blessed. “The objective of God’s covenant with Abraham was the coming of the Messiah and the salvation of men.”—The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 6, p. 957.
God’s chosen people did not always follow Him in this venture. They copied the hedonistic practices of the world. In other words, the faith they practiced was one that bore little resemblance to the holiness of the God they claimed to serve.
Consider This: How does the practice of our faith impact those around us? What essential truths are we called to share with a dying world? Many in ancient Israel believed that the Abrahamic blessing was theirs and theirs alone. In what ways do we sometimes cherish our exclusivity to the detriment of those yearning for the good news of salvation?
III. A Little History (Read Galatians 3:19 and Romans 7:7–13.)
Humanity’s penchant for self-delusion is great. Hence, God does everything within His power to open our eyes to the sanctity of His laws, His ways, and His life. This was God’s objective in giving the moral law at Mount Sinai and the civil and ceremonial laws that followed.
Humans need the law because they need to know what is right and what is wrong. For instance, the Lord reiterated the law at Sinai because, after many long years in Egypt, the Hebrews lost sight of what God’s ways were.
“During the long, dark bondage in Egypt, where they dwelt amid the blackest paganism and the most depraved immorality, they well-nigh lost their understanding or awareness of God’s moral standards, and of even the most rudimentary ideas of sacrifices. And when men come to such a state, they are insensitive to sin, for it is by ‘the law’ that we have the knowledge of sin. As Paul declares elsewhere, ‘I had not known sin, but by the law’ (Rom. 7:7).” —The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 6, p. 959.
Consider This: God’s laws function in much the same way today. They help us to see in stark relief God’s view of sin and point us to the Christ, the One who has made atonement for that sin. Is there a point at which the sensitizing influence of God’s law ceases to jolt us back to reality? Explain.
STEP 3—Apply
Just for Teachers: Encourage your students to internalize the questions below. The objective is for each person to take a hard look at himself or herself.
Thought Questions:
Application Questions:
Questions for Witnessing:
STEP 4—Create
Just for Teachers: Share the following true story in your own words. The objective here is to see clearly the inability of the law to prevent human beings from behaving in unethical, and even criminal, ways. Emphasize our need for a deep abiding relationship with God!
We live in the age of identity theft. One woman recently came home to find a host of frantic messages left on her voicemail by a credit fraud division of a huge department store. What was the problem? Someone in another city was attempting to buy USD 1,500 worth of goods using her credit card. The would-be thief had even tried to change the cardholder’s address to her own city. Because the woman who owned the card had never lived in that city, nor had she been there in more than two years, the whole episode was quite a wake-up call.
There are international crime syndicates whose sole goal is to profit from identity theft. But how do we explain those people who try to get ahead by falsifying information about their lives? For example, a college student recently secured more than USD 45,000 worth of scholarship money under false pretenses, USD 14,000 of which came from a prestigious university. While applying for several scholarships, he falsified recommendations, claimed a perfect score on a college entrance exam, plagiarized the work of professors, listed books he had coauthored, courses he had taught, and lectures he had delivered. All of which were false.
What prompts people to commit crimes such as the ones mentioned above? Sure, there is obvious criminal pathology, but go beyond the obvious. How could a relationship with Jesus have played any significant role in changing the behavior of the identity fraudsters mentioned above? How do we quantify the difference that Jesus makes in a life?