Daily Lesson for Thursday 6th of February 2025

Scripture consistently teaches that “ ‘the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments’ ” (Deuteronomy 7:9, NKJV). His character of goodness and love was supremely demonstrated by Jesus at the cross (see Romans 3:25-26; Romans 5:8). According to Psalms 100:5, “The Lord is good; [H]is steadfast love endures forever, and [H]is faithfulness to all generations” (ESV; compare with Psalms 89:2). Thus, God can be trusted; He gives only good gifts to His children (James 1:17; compare with Luke 11:11-13). In fact, He bestows good things even on those who position themselves as His enemies.

Image © Rolf Jansson at Goodsalt.com

Matthew 5:1-48 describes God’s love as perfect love. Imperfect love is the love that loves only those who love you. But God loves even those who hate Him, even those who position themselves as His enemies. His love is complete and, therefore, perfect.

Though God’s love and mercy far exceed any reasonable expectations, it never overrides or contravenes justice. On the contrary, it brings justice and mercy together (Psalms 85:10). Likewise, the Bible exhorts us: “ ‘Observe mercy and justice, and wait on your God continually’ ” (Hosea 12:6, NKJV). As another version puts it, “Hold fast to love and justice” (Hosea 12:6, ESV; compare with Luke 11:42).

In the end, God Himself will bring about perfect justice. Romans 2:5 teaches that His “righteous judgment will be revealed” (ESV). Finally, the redeemed will sing: “ ‘Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints! Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. For all nations shall come and worship before You, for Your judgments have been manifested’ ” (Revelation 15:3-4, NKJV; compare with Revelation 19:1-2).

<–Wednesday Friday–>

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/25a-06-hold-fast-to-love-and-justice/

Join It Is Written Sabbath School host Eric Flickinger and this quarter’s author, John C. Peckham, as they provide additional insights into this week’s Sabbath School lesson.”

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/6-gods-love-of-justice-it-is-written-discussions-with-the-author/

View an in-depth discussion of God’s Love of Justice/a> in the Hope Sabbath School class led by Pastor Derek Morris.
Click on the image below to view the video:

With thanks to Hope Channel – Television that will change your life.

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/6-gods-love-of-justice-hope-sabbath-school-video-discussion/

Daily Lesson for Wednesday 5th of February 2025

Can God “repent”? If so, what would that mean? We have seen that God’s character never changes. However, some biblical texts speak of God as “repenting” or “relenting.” At least for humans, repentance involves recognition that one has done something wrong. How, then, can some biblical passages depict God as “repenting”?

Image © Lars Justinen from GoodSalt.com

In these and many other passages, God is depicted as relenting of judgment in response to some repentance or intercession by people. God promises that, if the people will turn from their wickedness, He will turn from the judgment He planned. God’s turning from bringing judgment in response to human repentance is a common theme throughout Scripture.

These passages explicitly declare that God “ ‘is not a man, that He should relent’ ” (1 Samuel 15:29, NKJV) and “ ‘God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?’ ” (Numbers 23:19, NKJV). Read in light of the other passages, these texts cannot be taken to mean that God does not “relent” at all, but instead they convey the truth that He does not “relent” or “repent” in the ways that humans do. Rather, God always keeps His promises, and while He will change course in response to human repentance, He does so always in accordance with His goodness and His Word. God relents from judgment in response to repentance, precisely because His character is good, righteous, loving, and merciful.

<–Tuesday Thursday–>

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/25a-06-a-repenting-god/

Daily Lesson for Tuesday 4th of February 2025

In Malachi 3:6, God declares, “ ‘I am the Lord, I do not change’ ” (NKJV). While some read this part of the verse and take it to mean that God does not change in any way whatsoever, the rest of the verse and its immediate context shows that the changelessness of God affirmed here is God’s moral changelessness. The rest of the verse indicates that God may change relationally, for God says: “ ‘Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.’ ” And in the very next verse, God proclaims to His people, “ ‘Return to Me, and I will return to you’ ” (Malachi 3:7, NKJV).

Image © Jim Howard at Goodsalt.com

So, God does enter into back-and-forth relationships with His creation, but through all such back-and-forth relationships, and through everything else, God’s character is constant. This is likewise affirmed in James 1:17, which proclaims that all good and perfect gifts come from God, with whom there is no variation. God is not the source of evil.

Here and elsewhere, Scripture repeatedly teaches that God’s charac­ter is unchangeable. In other words, the Bible consistently teaches that God is morally changeless. Yet, God can and does enter into real relationship with creatures, to whom God responds, but always with love and justice.

God cannot deny Himself; God never lies; and God’s promises are unbreakable. We can be confident that the God of the Bible is the same God who (in Christ) willingly gave Himself for us on the cross. He is a God who can be trusted, without reservation, and we can have confidence and hope for the future because, as Hebrews 13:8 puts it, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (NKJV).

<–Monday Wednesday–>

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/25a-06-gods-changeless-character/