Sabbath School Study Hour Season 85, Episode 8: Free Will, Love, and Divine Providence

God Loves Freely

Scripture: Hosea 14:4 Lesson: 1 God not only asks us, “Do you love Me,” but God Himself loves each person, and does so freely. Indeed, He freely loves you and me and every other person more than we could possibly imagine.

28 min

Covenantal Love

Scripture: John 14:23 Lesson: 2 Some might think that they are unlovable, or that God might love everyone else, but not them. Yet, the Bible consistently proclaims that every single person is loved by God. There is no one whom He does not love. And because God loves everyone, He also wants everyone to be saved, as well.

To Be Pleasing to God

Scripture: Zephaniah 3:17 Lesson: 3 Hard as it is for us to imagine, God considers each person of incalculable value, which is why He rejoices over the salvation of even one soul.

28 min

God Is Passionate and Compassionate

Scripture: Isaiah 49:15 Lesson: 4 How can we model our lives after the life of Christ, focusing on the felt needs of others, and, thus, not merely preaching God’s love but showing it in tangible ways?

28 min

The Wrath of Divine Love

Scripture: Psalm 78:38 Lesson: 5 Though God’s compassion is often celebrated, many find the idea of His wrath disturbing. If God is love, they think He should never express wrath. That notion, however, is false. His wrath arises directly from His love.

God’s Love of Justice

Scripture: Jeremiah 9:24 Lesson: 6 Throughout Scripture, love and justice go together. True love requires justice, and true justice can be governed by and meted only out in love.

28 min

The Problem of Evil

Scripture: Revelation 21:4 Lesson: 7 Perhaps the greatest problem facing Christianity is the problem of evil—how to reconcile the fact that God is perfectly good and loving, with the fact of evil in this world. In briefest terms, if God is all-good and all-powerful, why is there evil, and so much of it, too?

The Cosmic Conflict

Scripture: Genesis 3:15 Lesson: 9 The theme of a cosmic conflict, in which the kingdom of God is opposed by the devil and his angels, is not one that we can neglect without missing a great deal of what the biblical narratives are about. The Gospels alone are filled with references to the devil and demons who oppose God. This week, we will address how the two following questions might be answered according to some crucial biblical passages: 1- Where does Scripture teach that there is a cosmic conflict between God and Satan? 2- According to Scripture, what is the nature of the conflict?

Rules of Engagement

Scripture: 1 John 3:8 Lesson: 10 For the cosmic conflict to occur, God must allow the enemy some freedom and power within certain parameters, though the details are unknown to us. Even God's angels operate within these "rules of engagement." Understanding that God governs by love, not coercion, helps us grasp this concept and better understand the great controversy.

What More Could I Have Done?

Scripture: John 18:37 Lesson: 11 Many struggle with the question: If God is good, why is there so much suffering? Where is He in the midst of pain? The cosmic conflict helps shed light on this crucial issue, yet many questions remain. But when our search for answers falls short, we can look to Jesus on the cross and see that God is trustworthy, even when some questions remain unanswered—for now.

Love and Justice: The Two Greatest Commandments

Scripture: 1 John 4:20 Lesson: 12 Part of loving one another is sharing a concern for the well-being of those around us. When others are afflicted by poverty, oppression, or any kind of injustice, we should be concerned. When others are oppressed, we should not turn a blind eye. Instead, we should ask ourselves what we can do, individually and corporately, to advance God’s love and justice in a way that reflects to our broken world our Lord’s perfect character of righteousness and love.

Love Is the Fulfillment of the Law

Scripture: Romans 13:8 Lesson: 13 God’s law is not a set of abstract principles but commands and instructions intended for our flourishing. God’s law is, in its totality, an expression of love as God Himself expresses it.