DAILY BIBLE LESSON.

THE FAITH OF JESUS CHRIST, IS NEEDED IN THE LAST DAYS DURING THE CLOSING HOURS OF EARTH HISTORY.

Please, share this study with your family, friends co-workers, and all who you can, for the expansion of the Kingdom of GOD.

Many people today proclaim to have faith 'in' Jesus Christ, but are rejecting the power of faith. This is an important issue for the last days, because Paul said in 2 Timothy 3:5 that there would be people who have a 'form of godliness, but deny the power thereof'. So the purpose of this study is to bring light to the true faith of Jesus Christ, and reveal what this 'power' is that the majority of people are missing in their lives.

The last day saints are revealed in this verse ... Revelation 14:12 ...'Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.'

It's interesting that the majority of professed Christians today separate the LAW and the GOSPEL, and yet Revelation 14:12 brings the law and the gospel together. The saints living in the last days according to Revelation 14 are those who are BOTH KEEPING THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD AND THE FAITH OF JESUS CHRIST. So these saints are both living in the gospel and also keeping the law of God. Now I really believe there is a better way to understand this verse. I believe we could read it as follows:

'Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God,
AS A RESULT OF the faith of Jesus.'

And therein lies the power of Christ in us. The simple fact is, Revelation 14:12 says that the end time saints are keeping the commandments of God. Something that the vast majority of professed Christians today refuse to acknowledge can be done. And what are they refusing? They are refusing the power of Christ in them. Professed Christians today are happy to proclaim to be believers and followers of Christ, but they reject the power that is found in the true faith of Jesus.

"Oh, we are all sinners! - no one can keep the commandments!"

We have all heard this statement many times. The problem is, those who make these statements are mixing truth with error. Yes, we are all sinners, because as the Bible says we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). And yes, no one can keep the commandments themselves. But where does the Bible say that no one CAN keep the commandments with the Spirit of Christ in us? What are we doing by thinking and proclaiming that we cannot keep the commandments? We are focusing on ourselves, instead of Jesus Christ. The EXACT same mistake that Eve made in the beginning and that the Jews made throughout their history! We are looking at SELF, instead of looking at Christ!

The love of self, instead of love for God is the ROOT of all sin!

This is serious friends! Satan is herding the masses down the 'BROAD WAY TO DESTRUCTION'. This is the way that proclaims a gospel without obedience, a faith without any power! And oh, how many Satan has in this trap! And Christ will say unto those .... 'depart from me, ye workers of iniquity!' (Matthew 7:23)

So what does faith of Christ mean?

The saints have accepted the righteousness of Christ in their lives. They have allowed Christ to live His perfect life in them. And that is made manifest in the obedience to all of God's commandments. The faith of Jesus does not diminish or 'destroy' the law but rather fulfils or 'brings full meaning' to the law as Jesus stated in Matthew 5:17. The faith of Jesus magnifies and expands the law in all its glory, which is what? LOVE! Yet most of the Protestant churches perceive the faith of Jesus as being against the commandments of God given in the Old Testament. But this is a completely wrong view.

"No man can rightly present the law of God without the gospel, or the gospel without the law. The law is the gospel embodied, and the gospel is the law unfolded." (E.White, Christ's Object Lessons, p.128)

For instance, when reading Paul's writings in Romans and Galatians, many professed Christians believe that Paul was doing away with God's 'Old Testament commandments'. Whereas in fact, Paul was simply doing away with the Jews' own system of law keeping - ie, salvation by law keeping and circumcision. The whole problem with the Jews and even some of the Gentile converts was in the way they kept the law. They did not unite it with the faith of Jesus. They continued to look to the written law, instead of looking to Christ. They had faith in the law, instead of faith in God. And this way of law keeping will get you absolutely nowhere!

Hence, why Christ said He came not to abolish the law, but to 'fulfil', which in the truest sense, means 'to bring full meaning'. So Christ expanded the commandments of God the Father. He brought light to the law. He lived the law of God. Which is what? LOVE! Christ didn't live just by looking at the law and keeping it. He lived by the Spirit, the power and the LOVE of His Father in Him. And as a result of that, Christ kept the Father's commandments.

If ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide in My love, even as I have kept My Father’s commandments, and abide in His love. John 15:10

To learn more about our Lord Jesus Christ, the Word of God, and the Sabbath, please visit your local Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Or please visit us at Rossville Seventh-day Adventist Church, located at 1737 Mission Ridge Road, Rossville Georgia 30741

Pastor; Greg Hudson

Services start at 11am on Saturday (Sabbath) morning.