Expounding the Faith

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LESSON 6

*July 31 - August 6

Expounding the Faith

SABBATH AFTERNOON

Read for This Week's Study:

Romans 5.

Memory Text:

“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (Romans 5:1, 2).

Paul has established the point that justification, or acceptance with God, comes only through faith in Jesus Christ, for His righteousness alone is enough to give us the right standing with our Lord. Building on that great truth, Paul now expounds more on this theme. Showing that salvation has to be by faith and not by works, not even for someone as “righteous” as Abraham, Paul in a sense steps back, looks at the big picture—at what caused sin and suffering and death and how the solution is found in Christ and what He’s done for the human race. Through the fall of one man, Adam, all humanity faced condemnation, alienation, and death; through the victory of one man, Jesus, all the world was placed on a new footing before God, one in which, by faith in Jesus, the record of their sins, and the punishment due those sins could be remitted, could be forgiven and forever pardoned. Paul contrasts Adam and Jesus, showing how Christ came to undo what Adam did and that by faith the victims of Adam’s sin could be rescued by Jesus, the Savior. The foundation of it all is the cross of Christ and His substitutionary death there—which opens the way for every human being, Jew or Gentile, to be saved by Jesus, who with His blood brought justification to all who accept Him. Surely this is a theme worth expounding upon, for it’s the foundation of all our hope.

*Study this week's lesson to prepare for Sabbath, August 7.