Michigan Sabbath School Branch Davidian

Sabbath School Q2 2021: The Promise - Week 5

Today we discuss some nuances concerning the statement in Tuesday's lesson, in particular, how are we going to have a sinless life in "eternity" where evil, pain and suffering will never arise again?

Many think that Jesus will do something "supernatural" to our hearts and minds when He returns to get us – that at that time He will "fix" us somehow. Coupled with this idea is typically the thought that simply "believing in" Jesus will be enough to get us into Heaven when Christ returns.

So we discuss what it means to, quote, "believe in" Jesus' as it relates to salvation.

We first go over what it couldn't mean as evidenced by scripture.
1. That salvation does not come from "believing in " God's or Jesus' existence.
2. Jesus' righteousness is not a substitute for our righteousness.
3. Jesus did not pay the penalty for our sins (past, present, and future) by suffering and dying on the cross for us. Many believe this from the misunderstanding of what it meant for Jesus to "bear our sins."

Most Christians today have such misconceptions concerning these things from cherry picking a bible verse out of its context in order to have it say something it was never intended to say. Ellen White objected to people cherry picking her statements out of their original context as well. This is a favorite tactic of Satan's. When reading an author's message, it is only right and fair to read the entire message in order to understand the intended meaning of any one sentence. If you come across a verse that you might think is saying that our sin is okay in any way, shape, or form, you need to keep reading. The prophetic authors of scripture writing by the power of the Holy Spirit never justify sin - not before the cross, and not after the cross.

So, what does it mean to "believe in Jesus" as a means to salvation? And what then is the solution to the sin problem?

Well, to "believe in Jesus" is to trust in what He is saying to us. It is to gain a knowledge about Him that is so deep that we will have faith (which is trust based on evidence) in His ways! If we "believe in Him," we will follow in His footsteps and will then be determined, moment by moment, to not give into temptation to sin ever again, and therefore receive the promise of eternal life in "a sinless environment where evil, pain, and suffering will never again arise." Can you think of a better promise than that?

For more on overcoming sin in our lives and the true solution to the sin problem, please see our studies,

"The Lost Gospel of Christ," by Trent Wilde,
http://www.bdsda.com/home-3/the-lost-...​

The FAQ article on the bdsda web page entitled, "Our Understanding of Morality,"
http://www.bdsda.com/faq/​

and our video studies, "The Gospel is Better Than Most Realize,"
https://youtu.be/FXT9BPp-7lc​

And "Jesus Came to 'Bear With' Our Sins, Not to Take Responsibility for Them"
https://youtu.be/xXIl6NcE0QY​


A Branch Davidian Seventh-Day Adventist perspective on the Sabbath School lesson.
www.bdsda.com
Email us at [email protected] for comments and literature requests.