Sabbath School for Adults: Education: Lesson 3: The Law as Teacher

Lesson 3 *October 10–16

The Law as Teacher

Sabbath Afternoon

Read for This Week’s Study: Deut. 6:5, 31:9–27, Rom. 3:19–23, Rev. 12:17, 14:12, Mark 6:25–27, Heb. 5:8.

Memory Text: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength” (Deuteronomy 6:5, NKJV).

In warning the Galatians against legalism, Paul wrote: “For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law” (Gal. 3:21, NKJV). Of course, if any law could have “given life,” it would have been God’s law. And yet, Paul’s point is that, for us as sinners, even God’s law can’t give life. Why? “But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe” (Gal. 3:22, NKJV).
However, if the law can’t give life to sinners, what’s the purpose of it, other than to show us our need of grace? Is the law, then, only negative in function, only there to show us our sins?
No; the law also is there to point us to the way of life, which is found only in Jesus. This also is what true education should be about, pointing us to a life of grace, of faith, and of obedience to Christ. That’s why this week we will study the role of God’s law in the whole question of Christian education. As we do, let’s see what the law, though it cannot save us, still can teach us about faith, about grace, and about our God’s love for fallen humanity.

* Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, October 17.