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Commentary on "Justification by Faith Alone"

COLLEEN TINKER

 

Day 4: Tuesday, October 18, 2011 - The Basis of Our Justification

 

Overview

Today’s lesson discusses the basis of our justification and makes the point that our justification is based on Christ’s faithfulness, not our own. The author says this, “We are not justified on the basis of our faith but on the basis of Christ’s faithfulness for us, which we claim for ourselves through faith.”

 

Observations

The quote above from today’s lesson is vague and frankly makes no sense at all. This is the sort of verbal manipulation that Adventism uses when the frank meaning of Scripture contradicts Adventist doctrine. This quote is immediately followed by this: 

“Christ did what every individual has failed to do: He alone was faithful to God in everything He did. Our hope is in Christ’s faithfulness, not our own.”

Again, this quote is vague and unspecific, but what it conveys is the reminder that Jesus was perfectly obedient, keeping the law without flaw. We then, it is suggested, have to tap into “Christ’s faithfulness” to help us also overcome sin.

In fact, our justification is not based on Christ’s sinless life but on His death. Romans 5:10 says this: 

For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.

Jesus’ sinless life is not our guarantee or ticket to justification. He was sinless because He was spiritually alive from conception, eternally God, and God cannot sin. It was His death as the perfect sacrifice that bought us our justification. 

Quite frankly, today’s lesson is confusing and leaves the reader feeling helpless and unable to grasp how to please God. It sounds “spiritual”, but it obfuscates the clear message of Scripture.

We are justified because of the blood of Jesus. Period. When we repent and trust Jesus, believing in the only begotten Son of God and receiving His sacrifice for our sin, we are born again and pass at that moment from death to life (Jn. 5:24). 

The basis for our justification is the blood of Jesus, not “the faithfulness of Jesus” or His sinless, perfect life. His shed blood is what God accepted as the propitiation for our sin (Rom. 3:26-27). 

We cannot be saved apart from the blood of Jesus.

 

Summary

  1. Christ’s faithfulness is not the basis for our justification.
  2. Jesus’ blood is the basis for our justification.
  3. We cannot be saved apart from Jesus’ blood.
  4. When we repent and receive the Lord Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we are born again and pass at that moment from death to life (Jn. 5:24).

 

GO TO DAY 5

 

Copyright 2011 BibleStudiesForAdventists.com. All rights reserved. Revised October 16, 2011. This website is published by Life Assurance Ministries, Glendale, Arizona, USA, the publisher of Proclamation! Magazine. Contact email: BibleStudiesForAdventists@gmail.com.

The Sabbath School Bible Study Guide and the corresponding E.G. White Notes are published by Pacific Press Publishing Association, which is owned and operated by the Seventh-day Adventist church. The current quarter's editions are pictured above.

 

Official Adventist Resources

Standard Edition Study Guide Week 4

Teacher's Edition Study Guide Week 4

Easy Reading Edition Study Guide Wk 4

SSNET Study Guide Week 4

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