It shouldn’t surprise us that the topic of the law can be such a twisted and misunderstood one, given that Satan’s ultimate challenge against God was about His law.
Some in Jesus’ day thought that He had come to do away with the law, but that couldn’t have been further from the truth. Jesus shone light on the law and God’s beautiful character, and He came to fulfill the law (Matt. 5:17, 18) to show us what God is like.
“Only as a reverence for God’s Holy Word was cherished in the hearts of the people, could they hope to fulfill the divine purpose. It was regard for the law of God that gave Israel strength during the reign of David and the earlier years of Solomon’s rule; it was through faith in the living word that reformation was wrought in the days of Elijah and of Josiah. And it was to these same Scriptures of truth, Israel’s richest heritage, that Jeremiah appealed in his efforts toward reform.”—Ellen G. White, Prophets and Kings, pp. 465, 466.
Discussion Questions:
How does popular culture view sin? How should our church respond?
When have you seen firsthand how sin destroys relationships with God and with others?
Has obedience to God’s law been easy or hard in your life? What factors have contributed to this?
How can we as Seventh-day Adventists, whose very name shows how seriously we take the law, avoid the trap of legalism, of depending on our law-keeping to save us? (Do a thought experiment: On the day of judgment, what are you going to rely on as your every sin is brought before a holy and perfect God in judgment? Your law-keeping? Or Jesus’ perfect righteousness in your stead?)
How can knowledge (or the lack of knowledge) impact someone’s relationship with God? (Read Prov. 24:3, 13, 14.)
Summary: Our lives are infected with sin, which separates us from God. However, God invites us to know and love Him with all of our mind, heart, soul, and strength. When we do this, we’ll naturally have more love for others. Such love for God and others is captured in God’s law, which was given to protect and preserve our relationships with Him and those around us. God’s law is a beautiful reflection of His character, and when we understand His law, our relationship with Him will grow stronger.
Supplemental EGW Notes
Lift Him Up, “Secret Prayer and Bible Study,” October 12, p. 299.
Maranatha, “The Truth Will Triumph,” January 10, p. 18.\
The above quotations are taken from Ellen G. White Notes for the Sabbath School Lessons, published by Pacific Press Publishing Association. Used by permission.