Sabbath School Lesson for June 19-25, 2021
Teresa’s YouTube channel about the Lesson: http://www.youtube.com/teresathompson
Overview and Introduction
The focus this week was on covenant blessings which affect our life. Among the benefits of living out the covenant agreement are…
- joy (1 John 1:4)–on Sunday
- freedom from guilt (Romans 8:1)–on Monday
- a new heart (Ephesians 3:17-19)–on Tuesday
- hope in the possibility of eternal life (John 11:25, 26)–on Wednesday
- a mission and purpose for our present life (Matthew 28:19, 20)–on Thursday
These positive benefits have been observed by people for centuries. A review of our spiritual blessings is always helpful. With all the hardships and trials people encounter during their lifetime, God’s promises help us survive this world of sin. The covenant is designed to give us courage and strength for anything Satan throws at us.
The closer we are to God, the lighter our burdens will be. For He has promised to carry them for us. It’s part of the covenant, and one we can hardly do without.
Memory Text: ” “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.’ ” John 10:10
With God, we can expect to have the best this life has to offer, and, of course, the best life after death as well. Even without eternal life though, the joys and blessings of our present life when lived out faithfully for God, make the covenant an attractive option. Deciding to follow Jesus each day will make an enormous difference on the life and legacy we experience and leave behind.
Sunday: Joy
The disciple John is typically associated with the love he had for his Savior and Friend Jesus. But a prominent emotion that comes from this love is joy. Our relationship with God should result in a more joyful life, as John expressed in 1 John 1:4.
Of course, not everything that produces joy or happiness is conducive to spiritual growth. There is temporary pleasure in sin (Hebrews 11: 25). We must learn, with the Holy Spirit’s guidance, how to understand and control our feelings. It does no good to deny them. We were created to have emotions, such as love and joy, so we might be able to have a fuller and richer experience with our Maker.
John was able to have joy by keeping Jesus as the center of his life. The emphasis should not be on self, but on the matchless love of the Son of God. Joy comes naturally from a thankful heart that recognizes that God is with us, no matter what trial we are facing.
Bible Verses to Read and Discuss:
1 John 1:4 and John 15:11
- Where did John get his idea about our joy being full?
John 16:24
- How do we get the fullness of joy God wants us to have?
Monday: Guilt-Free
Having guilt is a natural response of having sin in our lives. Since we all have sinned (Romans 3:23), we most likely have experienced guilt at some point in our Christian walk.
But one of the blessings God provides when we come to know Him is having our guilt taken away. When God takes our condemnation from us, by being our Substitute, He also takes away the uncomfortable guilt that comes with it. No longer are we burdened with shame and remorse for what we have done. Because “as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12).
We should always recognize the heinous reality of what sin has done to us and our loved ones. But we can accept the blood of Christ and His righteousness and be free from the oppressive force of guilt that weighs so heavy on our heart at times.
Bible Verses to Read and Discuss:
Romans 8:1, Galatians 5:19-21, and 6:9
- What does it mean to “walk not after the flesh”?
- What can make us “lose heart”?
- What should we do when we fall into sin? Why does it happen, sometimes repeatedly, and what should we do about it?
2 Corinthians 5:21 and Isaiah 53:6
- How does knowing this free us from guilt?
Tuesday: New Covenant and New Heart
We’ve come to understand that the new covenant means we have God’s Law in our heart (Jeremiah 31:33). But Ephesians 3:17 says that Christ must dwell in our hearts. The love of Christ and the love of the Law are the same. The foundation of them both is love. The Law spells it out in words, and Christ spells it out in actions.
No wonder, our heart is considered new when He dwells there. Without Him, we are nothing (John 15:5). Having a new heart means to have God’s love revealed in both word and deed. When He dwells there, it shows.
His is not a temporary lease on our heart. He wants total occupancy there for as long as we’ll have Him. We are the landlord, so to speak. Let’s not neglect such a wonderful tenant, but do all we can to make His stay in our heart enjoyable and profitable. Love makes all the difference in our life and in the lives of those around us, and having God give us a new covenant heart makes it all possible.
Bible Verses to Read and Discuss:
Ephesians 3:17-19
- What makes the love of Jesus beyond our understanding?
Matthew 22:37-39 and Ephesians 3:17
- What does it mean to have Christ and His Law in our heart?
- How does it change us?
Wednesday: New Covenant and Eternal Life
The new covenant life seems to have two dimensions. They are both abundantly wonderful (John 10:10). But one affects our present existence, and the other, our life through eternity in the new earth.
Some have wondered when eternal life begins. Is it the moment we belong to Christ, or is it when we receive our immortal bodies at the resurrection? You might think of it as going on a trip. First you must purchase a ticket to get where you’re going. Then you must board whatever transportation you’ve chosen to get you there. Having the ticket guarantees your arrival, and makes the anticipated trip more real.
Ellen White sees it this way: “It is through the Spirit that Christ dwells in us; and the Spirit of God, received into the heart by faith, is the beginning of the life eternal.” The Desire of Ages, p. 388. It is the beginning of our journey to that Promised Land!
Bible Verses to Read and Discuss:
John 11:25, 26 and Revelation 20:6
- What death was John talking about?
1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17
- What group of people will not taste death at all?
John 17:3
- How does this verse help support the quote in The Desire of Ages that says that the beginning of life eternal is when Christ is received into the heart?
Thursday: New Covenant and Mission
Sobering is the thought that almost everything we accomplish in life will end with our death, or at least sometime after our death. There is really only one thing that we know will last forever. And that is how we have touched people’s hearts with God’s love. People remember how we made them feel much more than anything else about us.
The life lived for God has an influence that never quits. We are privileged to pass on His gospel love. This meaningful mission has lasting consequences. Jesus directed His disciples to go into all the world to give His message of hope and love (Matthew 28:19, 20). Nothing else we do is as important as sharing the gospel to all who might listen.
Part of our new covenant experience is to have this tremendous purpose for living. Everyone can share what God has done for them and what He can do for anyone who invites Him into their heart. This is what it means to spread the gospel. This is our mission.
Bible Verses to Read and Discuss:
Matthew 28:19, 20
- Why was the promise of Christ’s presence important to His disciples and us?
Mark 16:15, 16 and Revelation 14:6
- What does it mean to “preach the gospel”? What are some of the ways this is done?
- Why is sharing the gospel so important at this time in history?
Friday: Final Thoughts
As a true Friend, God offers us multiple blessings and opportunities when we desire a relationship with Him. Through the covenant, He provides a way for us to mend what was lost in the Garden of Eden.
The covenant basically tells us that God saves us from sin. Our only requirement is to answer when God calls. Just as Adam and Eve responded when God went looking for them in the Garden after their fall. God even makes it possible for us to search for Him. He is always ready, willing, and able to come by our side and bond with us.
Even if eternal life seems beyond our grasp of faith, we can certainly appreciate the benefits of knowing God in this present life alone. Happiness, love, peace, hope, and purpose come into our life and grow as we get to know and become more like our Creator God.
His mercy is everlasting. And that’s why He wants to spend an eternity with us. He doesn’t want our relationship to end. We were meant to live eternally with God. The closer we are to the end of life, the more clearly we see these issues and appreciate what eternity has to offer. The hope of having eternal life is perhaps the sweetest blessing of all. Nothing has to come to an end, when our faith allows us to believe in the immortality given to God’s people at the resurrection.
Next Week: “Rest in Christ”–new quarter
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