“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit” (Romans 8:1).

A young woman had been brutally murdered, her killer unknown. The police, setting a trap, placed a hidden microphone in her grave. One evening, many months after her death, a young man approached the grave and, kneeling and weeping, begged the woman for forgiveness. The police, of course, monitoring his words, nabbed him for the crime.

Image © Krieg Barrie from GoodSalt.com

What drove the man to the grave? It was guilt, what else?

Of course, though none of us (we hope) has ever done anything as bad as what that young man did, we all are guilty; we all have done things we are ashamed of, things that we wish we could undo but cannot.

Thanks to Jesus and the blood of the new covenant, none of us has to live under the stigma of guilt. According to the text for today, there is no condemnation against us. The ultimate Judge counts us as not guilty, counts us as if we have not done the things we feel guilty about.

How do these verses help us understand Romans 8:1? John 5:24; Romans 3:24-25; 2 Corinthians 5:21.

One of the great promises of living in a covenant relationship with the Lord is that we no longer have to live under the burden of guilt. Because of the blood of the covenant, we — who choose to enter into that covenant relationship with God, who choose to abide by the conditions of faith, repentance, obedience — can have the burden of guilt lifted. When Satan seeks to whisper in our ears that we are evil, that we are bad, that we are too sinful to be accepted by God, we can do what Jesus did when Satan tempted Him in the wilderness: we can quote Scripture, and one of the best of all verses to quote is Romans 8:1. This does not mean denying the reality of sin in our lives; it means, instead, because of the covenant relationship we have with the Lord, we no longer live under the condemnation of that sin. Jesus paid the penalty for us, and He now stands in the presence of the Father pleading His own blood on our behalf, presenting His own righteousness instead of our sins.

<–Sunday Tuesday–>

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“And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full” (1 John 1:4).

Look at what John wrote here. In a few simple words, he expresses what should be one of the great advantages we, as covenant people, have — and that is the promise of joy.

Image © Krieg Barrie at Goodsalt.com

As Christians, we are often told not to go by feeling, that faith is not feeling, and that we need to get beyond our feelings, all of which is true. But at the same time, we would not be human beings if we were not creatures of feelings, emotions, and moods. We cannot deny our feelings; what we need to do is understand them, give them their proper role, and as much as possible, keep them under control. But to deny them is to deny what it means to be human (we might as well tell a circle not to be round). Indeed, as this verse says, not only should we have feelings (in this case joy), but they should be full. It hardly sounds as if feelings are to be denied, does it?

Read the context of the above verse, starting at the beginning of the chapter. What was John writing to the early Christians that he hoped would make their joy full? And why should it give them joy?

John was one of the original Twelve. He was there, almost from the start of Christ’s three-and-a-half-year ministry, a witness to some of the most amazing events of Jesus’ life. (John was there at the Cross, at Gethsemane, and at the Transfiguration, as well). Thus, as an eyewitness, he was certainly well-qualified to talk about this subject.

Yet, notice too, that the emphasis is not on himself; it is on what Jesus had done for the disciples so they could now have fellowship not only with each other but with God Himself. Jesus has opened the way for us to enter into this close relationship with the Lord; and, one result of this fellowship — this relationship — is joy. John wants them to know that what they have heard about Jesus is true (he saw, touched, felt, and heard Him), and thus they, too, can enter into a joyful relationship with their heavenly Father, who loves them and gave Himself through His Son for them.

<–Sabbath Monday–>

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Image © Pacific Press

Sabbath Afternoon

Read for This Week’s Study: 1 John 1:4; John 5:24; Romans 3:24-25; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 John 4:16; Revelation 2:11; Revelation 20:6, Revelation 20:14; Revelation 21:8.

Memory Verse: “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).

This quarter has been a study on the covenant, which (to pare it down to its simplest, purest form) is, basically, God saying, This is how I will save you from sin, period.

Though the outcome, the grand finale of the covenant promise, is, of course, eternal life in a world made new, we do not have to wait for it to enjoy the covenant blessings today. The Lord cares about our lives now; He wants the best for us now. The covenant is not some deal where you do this and this and this and then, a long way off, you will get your reward. The rewards, the gifts — they are blessings that those who by faith enter into the covenant relation can enjoy here and now.

This week’s lesson, the final in our series on the covenant, looks at some of these immediate blessings, some of the promises that come from God’s grace shed into our hearts because, having heard Him knock, we have opened the door. Of course, there are more blessings than what we can touch on this week. But it is just a start, a start of something that will, indeed, never end.

The Week at a Glance: Why should we feel joy? On what basis can we claim that promise? What is it about the covenant that should free us from the burden of guilt? What does it mean to have a new heart?

Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, June 26.

Sunday–>

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Support for the mission activities of the Seventh-day Adventist church has always been part of the Sabbath School program. This video is Mission Spotlight for this week.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpdrvZ1Mdkg&w=560&h=315]

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Weekly Trip to Mission Field

By Andrew McChesney, Adventist Mission

Some children in the U.S. state of Texas don’t just listen to the mission story. They also fly to faraway countries to experience the story firsthand.

Image © Pacific Press

On Sabbaths, the children check in at Missionary Airlines when they arrive for Sabbath School at the Grandview Seventh-day Adventist Church. Each child presents a passport marked “Grandview Sabbath School Passport” at the airline’s check-in desk to receive a visa for the destination country. On one Sabbath, a visitor from Adventist Mission had prepared a mission story from China, so the airline representative Primary teacher, Luly Wicklund, stuck a home-printed sticker of the red Chinese flag into each passport. Each child also can receive up to three stars in the passport: for showing up on time, for bringing a Bible, and for inviting a friend.

The first 10 children who arrive on time are issued first-class boarding passes, which allows them to choose their seats in an airplane in the next room. Late arrivals receive economy boarding passes with assigned seating. The children also have frequent-flyer cards with memory verses on the back. The plane, constructed by church members, consists of a metal and wooden frame covered with white canvas. Oval windows line the sides of the fuselage.

Once the children are seated, Luly plays a recorded message. “Thank you for choosing Missionary Airlines, where a new adventure awaits you every Sabbath!” says the male voice of the plane’s captain. “Please remain in your seats as one of your attendants has prayer before our flight departs.”

After the announcement one Sabbath, Luly asked the 11 children onboard for their prayer requests. A boy pointed to a gaping hole at the back of the plane and exclaimed, “Let’s pray that we’re not sucked out of this plane during the flight.” After the other children laughed, the boy added seriously, “Please pray for my dog. She isn’t feeling well.” Then the plane took off for China.

Upon landing, the children exited the plane and sat in nearby chairs to listen to the mission story from China. Afterward, they flew back to Texas. During the return flight, the teacher asked quiz questions about the mission story.

Luly, who developed Missionary Airlines at the suggestion of her 11-year-old son more than a decade ago, said she has found it useful to develop a Sabbath School theme each quarter and to make mission stories part of that theme. Previous themes have included a submarine, a cave, and a rocket that took children around the world. Luly said the trips personalize the mission stories.

“Children see that these are normal people who go to these places,” she said. Normal people used by God.

Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission. Find more mission stories at adventistmission[dot]org

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