Further Study:
Reconciliation: “Reconciliation means that every barrier between the soul and God is removed, and that the sinner realizes what the pardoning love of God means. By reason of the sacrifice made by Christ for fallen men, God can justly pardon the transgressor who accepts the merits of Christ. Christ was the channel through which the mercy, love, and righteousness might flow from the heart of God to the heart of the sinner.”—Ellen G. White, Selected Messages, book 1, p. 396.Wrath of God: “Christ was to take the wrath of God which in justice should fall upon man. He became a refuge for man, and although man was indeed a criminal, deserving the wrath of God, yet he could by faith in Christ run into the refuge provided and be safe. In the midst of death there was life if man chose to accept it.”—Ellen G. White, Review and Herald, February 24, 1874.
Discussion Questions:
Of the various different images talked about this week, which ones can you relate to the best? Why? In class, talk about the different images and share with each other the reasons for your choice. 
Dwell on this idea of reconciliation. What can we learn from human accounts of reconciliation that can help us better understand it as a metaphor for salvation?
In what ways is the Cross the greatest manifestation and expression of God’s love? What comfort can we draw from the Cross about the nature of God that can help sustain us during hard times?
God’s wrath against sin just couldn’t be turned off; what should that tell us about sin’s nature? In other words, why didn’t God just forget about sin instead of having to pour out His wrath against it?
Summary:
The Bible employs different images to help us grasp Christ’s death. Redemption indicates that His death liberates us from the power of sin. His death restores a peaceful relationship with God; it reconciles us by overcoming our rebellion. Through the death of Christ we are declared innocent before the heavenly court because He died in our place as a substitute. His death on the cross is the place where God shouts and tells us, “Look, this is how much I love you!”
| I N S I D E Story | ||
| Conquering the Deceiver by HEATHER TREDOUX Justinia stood outside the big tent in Swaziland, listening intently to the speaker. She wanted to go in and listen, but she was afraid. Someone had said that these meetings were sponsored by satanists. She needed God's help, but her fears held her back. As she listened, she could find nothing that pointed to Satan. The sermons and even the songs were straight from the Bible. She took a deep breath, entered the tent, and sat down. After that Justinia never missed a meeting. How could this be bad? She wondered as she listened. Bravely she approached the speaker, David Tembe, and asked him to visit her home. "The spirits of our ancestors are troubling us," she told him. When the pastor visited the family, they told their troubles. "The ancestors are angry with us because we don't have money to hold a feast for them. We hear strange noises, like a telephone ringing, but we don't own a telephone. At night we hear the sound of running footsteps on the metal roof when no one is there, and lately stones are being hurled at our front door." The family explained that they had consulted a sangoma (witchdoctor), who declared that the ancestors were angry and told them to slaughter a goat or an ox to appease the spirits. But the family had no money to buy one. When the family returned home, they found a small green snake with black markings near their front door. They knew that this snake meant that the ancestors had come to visit them. The snake would disappear and reappear, changing color and growing larger. The family was terrified. The evangelist told the family that God is their only hope. He read the Bible story of the serpent that deceived Eve in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3), and then he explained that God is more powerful than Satan and has conquered Satan already. They needed only to trust in God. The family sighed with relief and asked the evangelist to pray for them. They knelt together and pleaded with God to take control. During the closing meeting, Justinia shared her testimony. "We have been troubled and threatened by demons, but when Pastor Tembe prayed, God sent away the demons, and they have not come back. We lived in darkness and fear, but now we live in the light of God!" Our mission offerings help people around the world find the light of God that shines into their sin-darkened lives. Thank you for doing your part to make world evangelism possible.
HEATHER TREDOUX is fund-raising for the 4,000 AIDS orphans in the Maluti Adventist Hospital service area in Lesotho. Swaziland and Lesotho are small countries in southern Africa. | ||
| Produced by the General Conference Office of Mission Web site: www.adventistmission.org |
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