Righteousness by Faith
1. What is the definition for righteousness in Greek?
ANSWER:
Justification
1343. dikaiosune, dik-ah-yos-oo´-nay; from 1342; equity (of character or act); specially (Christian) justification: — righteousness.
2. What is the definition for justification?
ANSWER:
To declare that you have not sinned
1347. dikaiosis, dik-ah´-yo-sis; from 1344; aquittal (for Christ’s sake): — justification.
aquittal is same as acquittal and acquittal means a judgment that a person is not guilty of the crime with which the person has been charged.
3. Who cannot receive acquittal in a legal sense?
Job 10:14 If I sin, then thou markest me, and thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity.
ANSWER:
Those who sinned. Those who are guilty.
4. How many are guilty before God?
Rom. 3:19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
ANSWER:
All the world
5. In a legal sense, is it possible to declare not guilty to someone who is guilty before God?
ANSWER:
No.
6. Is it possible to gain justification by keeping the law even though you are guilty?
ANSWER:
No. If you are already guilty then no good works can change your guilty verdict.
CONCLUSION:
Since it is impossible for a guilty one to receive justification with good works, therefore the only way that God can offer justification is through faith.
Gal. 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
7. Is there an element of obedience to God’s law in the act of faith?
Gal. 5:6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.
John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
ANSWER:
Yes, because having a faith towards God means having a love towards God. And if you love God then you want to keep His commandments not in order to be saved but because you love God’s gift of justification so much that you want to follow His ways with love.
The Sanctuary
1. What does it mean “cleansed” in Dan. 8:14?
Dan. 8:14 And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.
ANSWER:
Justification
6663. tsadaq, tsaw-dak´; a primitive root; to be (causatively, make) right (in a moral or forensic sense):—cleanse, clear self, (be, do) just(-ice, -ify, -ify self), (be turn to) righteous(-ness).
2. What does God use in order to cleanse the sanctuary (or to bring justification)?
Lev. 16:19 And he shall sprinkle of the blood upon it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it, and hallow it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel.
Heb. 9:7 But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people
1John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
ANSWER:
The blood of Jesus. Therefore the blood of Jesus is needed to justify us.
Rom. 5:9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
3. What does it mean to cleanse us from all sin or justify us?
Psa. 51:1 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Psa. 51:2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
Is. 43:25 I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins. Is. 43:26 Put me in remembrance: let us plead together: declare thou, that thou mayest be justified.
ANSWER:
To blot out our sins. In order for God to justify us we should have no record of sin. In order to have no record of sin our sins should be blotted out. In order to blot out our sins, the blood of the Son of God should be shed. Therefore our justification (which is to declare you that you have not sinned) is based upon the blood of Jesus blotting out of our record of sins in heaven.
The Sabbath
1. What is the spiritual teaching of Sabbath according to Heb. 4:10?
Heb. 4:10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
ANSWER:
Ceases from our own works.
NOTE:
Sabbath is the seventh day of the week and the seventh day of the week is Saturday. There is argument here. However what is the spiritual experience in keeping of the Sabbath?
2. Is there “cease from our own works” experience in the experience of righteousness by faith?
Rom. 4:5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
Gal. 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
ANSWER:
Yes
OBSERVATIONS:
In order to enter into God’s rest, we must stop from our own works
In order to experience the gift of righteousness/justification, we must stop from trying to gain it with our works
3. Is there any concept of sanctification by faith in the spiritual teaching of Sabbath?
Is. 58:13 If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:
Ex. 31:13 Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you.
Ezek. 20:12 Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD that sanctify them.
ANSWER:
Yes
OBSERVATIONS:
Sabbath teaches that …
We should not do our own pleasure
We should delight in the Sabbath
We should honor God by not doing our own ways and speaking our own words.
I believe this is an experience of sanctification that can be applied into our day to day life and not only on the Sabbath day.
CONCLUSION:
Sabbath teaches that we should cease from our own works, which includes both stopping from trying to earn our salvation by works and stopping from our own ways of living. If we cease from our own works then we are surrender to God therefore we are ready to do His will. So then the person who has ceased from his works will have the fruits of righteousness because God can work in and through surrendered heart. Therefore Sabbath is a sign of justification by faith and sanctification by faith together.
State of the Dead
1. What do the following Bible texts tell us about humanity’s condition in death? Ps. 146:4; Eccles. 9:5, 6; John 11:11–14; Acts 2:34.
ANSWER:
They know not anything.
They are “sleeping”
2. Why does the Bible describe the dead as “sleeping”?
Job 14:12 So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.
Dan. 12:2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
OBSERVATION:
They are described as “sleeping” because they will be awaken someday.
3. How many will be resurrected?
1Cor. 15:20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. 1Cor. 15:21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 1Cor. 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
John 5:28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, John 5:29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
ANSWER:
All will be resurrected
There are two resurrections; the resurrection of life and the resurrection of damnation
4. What determines who would be resurrected on which resurrection?
John 5:28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, John 5:29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
ANSWER:
They that have done good- resurrection of life (This good work is done through the power of Jesus Christ. Matt. 5:16, Eph. 2:10, Phil. 1:6, Col. 1:10, 2 Tim. 3:17)
They that have done evil-resurrection of damnation
5. What does the Bible say about when God examines good works and evil works?
Eccl. 12:14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
ANSWER:
Judgment
6. When is the time of this judgment?
Rev. 14:7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
Dan. 8:14 And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.
ANSWER:
Between 1844 to the close of probation. (No further explanation. Assuming that our audiences are familiar with the study on the investigative of judgment)
OBSERVATION:
Our natural death could have been an eternal “sleep” if it wasn’t for the sacrifice of Jesus.
All people can be awaken from “sleep” because Jesus has the power of resurrection.
There are two resurrections; one for the righteous and one for the wicked.
During the investigative judgment, God will determine who is righteous and who is wicked.
The only way to be “righteous” or do “good” is to experience the righteousness by faith and not by works.
The experience of truth faith can be explained as “cease from own works and enter into His rest”, the Sabbath keeping experience.
This judgment takes place in the heavenly sanctuary, the cleansing or blotting out our sins.
CONCLUSION:
In order to be a part of the resurrection of life, you need the experience of righteousness by faith (cease from his own works and enter into God’s rest) so that your sins can be blotted out of the heavenly sanctuary.
The Second Coming
1. Until when dead saints need to “sleep” according to Job 14:12, 13
Job 14:12 So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.
ANSWER:
Sleep till the heavens be no more.
2. When will the heavens be no more?
2Pet. 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
Rev. 6:14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. Rev. 6:15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; Rev. 6:16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: Rev. 6:17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
ANSWER:
Around the same time as the coming of the day of the Lord or the second coming.
3. How will Christ awake the dead in Christ?
1Th. 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
ANSWER:
Shout, the voice of the archangel, the trump of God.
CONCLUSION:
Jesus is coming to resurrect the saint and to take the living saints and the resurrected saints to heaven. Jesus will come as a thief in the night. This means when we are not expecting He will appear suddenly but when He does come, He will make much noise. Why? He is coming to awake all His dead saints!! It will not be secret. Who can avoid listening to the trump of God??
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