Hands-free narration of this study — good for the car.
Synopsis
Daniells defends the perpetuity of God's law while denying it any saving power. The law is holy, just, and good; it reveals God's character and defines sin; but it can only condemn. The gospel does not abolish the law but honours it by satisfying its claims in Christ and writing it in the heart by the Spirit. For Adventists especially, he warns that zeal for the law without the righteousness of Christ produces Pharisees, while grace that discards the law produces lawlessness.
Key points
- The law is a mirror and a schoolmaster, never a saviour.
- The gospel establishes the law rather than abolishing it.
- Christ satisfied the law's claim and writes it on the believer's heart.
- Law-zeal without Christ is the special peril of a commandment-keeping people.
Key passages
- Romans 3:31
- Galatians 3:21-25
- Hebrews 8:10
- Romans 8:3-4
Study questions10 total
- 1.Comprehension
What functions does Daniells assign to the law, and which function does he deny it?
- 2.Scripture
Read Galatians 3:24. What is a schoolmaster's task, and when has it succeeded?
- 3.Scripture
Explain Romans 3:31: how does faith establish the law?
- 4.Contrast
Contrast the law written on stone with the law written on the heart. What changes, and what does not?
- 5.Doctrinal Clarity
Why does Daniells consider legalism a greater danger for Adventists than open lawlessness?
- 6.Scripture
Read Romans 8:3-4. Who fulfils the righteousness of the law in the believer, and how?
- 7.Doctrinal Clarity
How does keeping the Sabbath change when it is kept in Christ rather than for standing?
- 8.Comprehension
What is lost when the law is preached without the gospel? What is lost when the gospel is preached without the law?
- 9.Application
Examine one commandment you keep carefully. Is it kept from love or from fear?
- 10.Application
How would you present the Sabbath to a seeker so that Christ, not conformity, is central?