1. Lesson 13

2. KEY TEXT
“The Lord has appeared
of old to me, saying:
‘Yes, I have loved you
with an everlasting love;
therefore with loving-
kindness I have drawn
you’ ”
Jeremiah 31:3

3. In this our final lesson of James, we will focus on basic
questions regarding “the everlasting gospel,” which is
salvation by faith, a belief taught all through the Bible,
including in the book of James. The crucial point to
remember is that the Bible does not contradict itself,
especially on something as basic as salvation. By finishing
with a look at how the gospel appears in the Bible, we can
better see how James fits this larger picture of God’s plan
of redemption.

4. How did people before Jesus understand the Gospel?
ADAM
• “And I will put
enmity between
you and the
woman, and
between your seed
and her Seed; he
shall bruise your
head, and you shall
bruise His heel.”
(Genesis 3:15)
• Salvation would
come through the
suffering of a
descendant of Eve.
He would put end
to sin.
DAVID
• “If You, Lord,
should mark
iniquities, O Lord,
who could stand?
But there is
forgiveness with
You, that You may
be feared.”
(Psalm 130:3-4)
• There is no
salvation without
forgiveness of sins.
God forgives our
sins for free.
ISAIAH
• “All we like sheep
have gone astray;
we have turned,
every one, to his
own way; and the
Lord has laid on
Him the iniquity of
us all.”
(Isaiah 53:6)
• The Messiah would
gain our salvation
through suffering
and death. He
would forgive our
sins that way.
JEREMIAH
•“But this is the
covenant that I will
make with the house
of Israel after those
days, says the Lord: I
will put My law in
their minds, and write
it on their hearts; and
I will be their God,
and they shall be My
people.”
(Jeremiah 31:33)
• God would make a
new covenant. He
would sanctify us
and write His Law in
our minds.

5. THE PRODIGAL SON (Luke 15:11-32)
• God is a loving Father. He is willing to
forgive His children.
• We must humble ourselves, admitting
our sins and accept His forgiveness.
THE PHARISEE AND THE TAX COLLECTOR (Luke 18:9-17)
• God ignores those who believe they are just, but justifies the
repentant sinners. He makes them free from their guilt.
THE BLOOD OF CHRIST (Matthew 26:28)
• Jesus suffered the death we deserved. He was the
true Paschal Lamb.
• Salvation is for free because Jesus already paid for it.

6. TAKING AWAY THE VEIL
(2 Corinthians 3:2-6, 14-16)
• Jesus took the veil away for Paul in his
way to Damascus. Then he could
understand the Scriptures.
• When we read the Bible, the Holy Spirit
takes our veils away so we can
understand the Gospel of life.
POWER OF GOD (Romans 1:16-17)
• The Gospel is power of God to
salvation.
• We use that power by faith.
THE BLOOD OF JESUS (Romans 3:24-26)
• Redemption: God bought us back and
paid for our sins.
• Justification: He made us free from guilt
and purified us by grace.
• Forgiveness: God accepted us again. He
“forgets” our past sins.

7. A disobedient
people
Imperfect
sacrifices
A perfect
sacrifice
An obedient
people
“Not according to the covenant that I
made with their fathers in the day when I
took them by the hand to lead them out of
the land of Egypt; because they did not
continue in My covenant, and I disregarded
them, says the Lord.” (Hebrews 8:9)
“For it is not possible that the
blood of bulls and goats could take
away sins.” (Hebrews 10:4)
“By that will we have been sanctified through
the offering of the body of Jesus Christ
once for all.” (Hebrews 10:10)
“For this is the covenant that I will make
with the house of Israel after those
days, says the Lord: I will put My laws in
their mind and write them on their
hearts; and I will be their God, and they
shall be My people.” (Hebrews 8:10)

8. THE CULMINATION
OF THE GOSPEL
Revelation 10:7
THE LAST CALL
Revelation 14:6
THE
COMMANDMENTS
AND THE FAITH
Revelation 14:12; 12:17
“But in the days of
the sounding of the
seventh angel, when
he is about to sound,
the mystery of God
would be finished, as
He declared to His
servants the
prophets.”
(Revelation 10:7)
“Then I saw another
angel flying in the
midst of heaven,
having the everlasting
gospel to preach to
those who dwell on
the earth—to every
nation, tribe, tongue,
and people.”
(Revelation 14:6)
“Here is the
patience of the
saints; here are
those who keep the
commandments of
God and the faith of
Jesus.”
(Revelation 14:12)

9. “The sacrifice of Christ as an
atonement for sin is the great truth
around which all other truths cluster.
In order to be rightly understood and
appreciated, every truth in the word
of God, from Genesis to Revelation,
must be studied in the light that
streams from the cross of Calvary. I
present before you the great, grand
monument of mercy and regeneration,
salvation and redemption,—the Son of
God uplifted on the cross. This is to be
the foundation of every discourse
given by our ministers.”
E.G.W. (Gospel Workers, section 8, pg. 315)

10. This would be beyond Christ’s power to help, it would be outside of
his teachings and his example; for he says, ‘I have kept my Father’s
commandments, and abide in his love,’ and all who follow Christ will
render obedience to God’s holy law.”—
We are simply to believe the testimony of God, and have entire
dependence on him, and all possibility of self-glory or pride will be
removed. We are indeed saved by faith, not by a passive faith, but
by the faith which works by love, and purifies the soul. The hand of
Christ can reach the veriest sinner, and bring him back from
transgression to obedience; but no Christianity is so lofty that it can
soar above the requirements of God’s holy law.