Question 12.
(1) In what sense is "trial" being used here? In the sense of "judgment" or to be "tested"? There isn't a word in Portuguese for "trial", so I must find a synonym. So far, I thought of "judgment" and "tested" (as in when we face God given trials/tests in life).
(2) Also, does this sentence "they must cease from all self-efforts at salvation" mean that "they must cease from all self-efforts at [seeking to obtain] salvation"? If yes, I'll have to add that underlined part to make better sense of that sentence in Portuguese.
(3) To what noun or noun phrase is the first underlined “it” referring to? I believe it is either “law” or “hopelessly corrupt state”, but I’m not sure which of these is right.
(4) To what noun or noun phrase is “upon it” referring to? Is “it” referring to “law”?
One of the purposes of man's trial under the law was to make evident the
hopeless corruption of his heart, and to convince him of the absolute necessity
for a special work of God, whereby he might obtain the forgiveness of all his
sins, and also gain a new life and nature. That is what Jesus Christ came to
accomplish by His sacrificial death and by His resurrection from the dead; and
that is why "the fulness of the time" for God to send forth His Son came not
until after the trial of man under the law of Moses had made evident the
necessity therefor.
Hence the trial of man under the law was by no means a failure. On the
contrary, it accomplished just what God purposed thereby; and it was a most
necessary stage of the long process of man's recovery from the dominion of sin.
To be sure, it showed what a failure man himself is; and it made evident that
because of the hopelessly corrupt state of his being he cannot obey a righteous
and holy law, even though he recognizes it to be such (Rom. 7:12, 14, 15, 16),
and even though he understands that his prosperity now and his welfare in
eternity depend upon it. Those individuals who learned this while they were
under the law, realized that they must cease from all self-efforts at salvation,
and must cast themselves for that upon the mercy of God. All such, and the
total number was doubtless great, discovered, as did David, the blessedness of
the man whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered (Rom. 4:6,7;
Ps. 32:1, 2).
(1) In what sense is "trial" being used here? In the sense of "judgment" or to be "tested"? There isn't a word in Portuguese for "trial", so I must find a synonym. So far, I thought of "judgment" and "tested" (as in when we face God given trials/tests in life).
(2) Also, does this sentence "they must cease from all self-efforts at salvation" mean that "they must cease from all self-efforts at [seeking to obtain] salvation"? If yes, I'll have to add that underlined part to make better sense of that sentence in Portuguese.
(3) To what noun or noun phrase is the first underlined “it” referring to? I believe it is either “law” or “hopelessly corrupt state”, but I’m not sure which of these is right.
(4) To what noun or noun phrase is “upon it” referring to? Is “it” referring to “law”?
One of the purposes of man's trial under the law was to make evident the
hopeless corruption of his heart, and to convince him of the absolute necessity
for a special work of God, whereby he might obtain the forgiveness of all his
sins, and also gain a new life and nature. That is what Jesus Christ came to
accomplish by His sacrificial death and by His resurrection from the dead; and
that is why "the fulness of the time" for God to send forth His Son came not
until after the trial of man under the law of Moses had made evident the
necessity therefor.
Hence the trial of man under the law was by no means a failure. On the
contrary, it accomplished just what God purposed thereby; and it was a most
necessary stage of the long process of man's recovery from the dominion of sin.
To be sure, it showed what a failure man himself is; and it made evident that
because of the hopelessly corrupt state of his being he cannot obey a righteous
and holy law, even though he recognizes it to be such (Rom. 7:12, 14, 15, 16),
and even though he understands that his prosperity now and his welfare in
eternity depend upon it. Those individuals who learned this while they were
under the law, realized that they must cease from all self-efforts at salvation,
and must cast themselves for that upon the mercy of God. All such, and the
total number was doubtless great, discovered, as did David, the blessedness of
the man whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered (Rom. 4:6,7;
Ps. 32:1, 2).
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