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|*July 24 - 30
Justification and the Law
Memory Text: Romans 3:31 KJV 31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.
"Scripture taken from the NEW KING JAMES VERSION". Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson Publishers. Used by Permission.
Sabbath Afternoon
Review Romans Chapter 4
Genesis 15:6 NIV 6 Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.
Genesis 15:6 NKJV 6 And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.
The Law Established
Romans 3:31 NKJV 31 Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.
Romans 4:1-8 NKJV 1 What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh? 2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." 4 Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. 5 But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, 6 just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: 7 "Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, And whose sins are covered; 8 Blessed is the man to whom the LORD shall not impute sin."
Review 2 Samuel chapters 11, 12 and Psalms chapter 51
Grace or Debt
Romans 4:6-8 NKJV 6 just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: 7 "Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, And whose sins are covered; 8 Blessed is the man to whom the LORD shall not impute sin."
Ellen G. White comments, Selected Messages, book 1, p. 215
The human family are in trouble because of their transgression of the Father's law. But God does not leave the sinner until He shows the remedy for sin. The only-begotten Son of God has died that we might live. The Lord has accepted this sacrifice in our behalf, as our substitute and surety, on the condition that we receive Christ and believe on Him. The sinner must come in faith to Christ, take hold of His merits, lay his sins upon the Sin Bearer, and receive His pardon. It was for this cause that Christ came into the world. Thus the righteousness of Christ is imputed to the repenting, believing sinner. He becomes a member of the royal family, a child of the heavenly King, an heir of God, and joint heir with Christ. {1SM 215.1}
Romans 4:9-12 NKJV 9 Does this blessedness then come upon the circumcised only, or upon the uncircumcised also? For we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness. 10 How then was it accounted? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised. 11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also, 12 and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of the faith which our father Abraham had while still uncircumcised.
Joshua 24:2 NKJV 2 And Joshua said to all the people, "Thus says the LORD God of Israel: 'Your fathers, including Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor, dwelt on the other side of the River in old times; and they served other gods.
Genesis 15:6 NKJV 6 And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.
Hebrews 2:9 NKJV 9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.
Promise and Law
Romans 4:13 NKJV 13 For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.
Romans 4:14-17 NKJV 14 For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect, 15 because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression. 16 Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all 17 (as it is written, "I have made you a father of many nations") in the presence of Him whom he believed--God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did;
Galatians 3:7-9 NKJV 7 Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. 8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, "In you all the nations shall be blessed." 9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.
Law and Faith
Ellen G. White comments, The Desire of Ages, pp. 35-36
Satan was seeking to shut out from men a knowledge of God, to turn their attention from the temple of God, and to establish his own kingdom. His strife for supremacy had seemed to be almost wholly successful. It is true that in every generation God had His agencies. Even among the heathen there were men through whom Christ was working to uplift the people from their sin and degradation. But these men were despised and hated. Many of them suffered a violent death. The dark shadow that Satan had cast over the world grew deeper and deeper. {DA 35.1}
Through heathenism, Satan had for ages turned men away from God; but he won his great triumph in perverting the faith of Israel. By contemplating and worshiping their own conceptions, the heathen had lost a knowledge of God, and had become more and more corrupt. So it was with Israel. The principle that man can save himself by his own works lay at the foundation of every heathen religion; it had now (p. 36) become the principle of the Jewish religion. Satan had implanted this principle. Wherever it is held, men have no barrier against sin. {DA 35.2}
The message of salvation is communicated to men through human agencies. But the Jews had sought to make a monopoly of the truth which is eternal life. They had hoarded the living manna, and it had turned to corruption. The religion which they tried to shut up to themselves became an offense. They robbed God of His glory, and defrauded the world by a counterfeit of the gospel. They had refused to surrender themselves to God for the salvation of the world, and they became agents of Satan for its destruction. {DA 36.1}
The people whom God had called to be the pillar and ground of the truth had become representatives of Satan. They were doing the work that he desired them to do, taking a course to misrepresent the character of God, and cause the world to look upon Him as a tyrant. The very priests who ministered in the temple had lost sight of the significance of the service they performed. They had ceased to look beyond the symbol to the thing signified. In presenting the sacrificial offerings they were as actors in a play. The ordinances which God Himself had appointed were made the means of blinding the mind and hardening the heart. God could do no more for man through these channels. The whole system must be swept away. {DA 36.2}
The deception of sin had reached its height. All the agencies for depraving the souls of men had been put in operation. The Son of God, looking upon the world, beheld suffering and misery. With pity He saw how men had become victims of satanic cruelty. He looked with compassion upon those who were being corrupted, murdered, and lost. They had chosen a ruler who chained them to his car as captives. Bewildered and deceived, they were moving on in gloomy procession toward eternal ruin,--to death in which is no hope of life, toward night to which comes no morning. Satanic agencies were incorporated with men. The bodies of human beings, made for the dwelling place of God, had become the habitation of demons. The senses, the nerves, the passions, the organs of men, were worked by supernatural agencies in the indulgence of the vilest lust. The very stamp of demons was impressed upon the countenances of men. Human faces reflected the expression of the legions of evil with which they were possessed. Such was the prospect upon which the world's Redeemer looked. What a spectacle for Infinite Purity to behold! {DA 36.3}
Galatians 3:21-23 NKJV 21 Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law. 22 But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. 23 But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed.
The Law and Sin
1 John 2:3-6 NKJV 3 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 He who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. 6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.
1 John 3:4 NKJV 4 Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.
Romans 3:20 NKJV 20 Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
1 John 1:7-10 NKJV 7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
James 1:14-15 NKJV 14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. 15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.
Ellen G. White comments, Selected Messages, book 1, p. 388
A legal religion has been thought quite the correct religion for this time. But it is a mistake. The rebuke of Christ to the Pharisees is applicable to those who have lost from the heart their first love. A cold, legal religion can never lead souls to Christ; for it is a loveless, Christless religion. When fastings and prayers are practiced in a self-justifying spirit, they are abominable to God. The solemn assembly for worship, the round of religious ceremonies, the external humiliation, the imposed sacrifice-- all proclaim to the world the testimony that the doer of these things considers himself righteous. These things call attention to the observer of rigorous duties, saying, This man is entitled to heaven. But it is all a deception. Works will not buy for us an entrance into heaven. The one great Offering that has been made is ample for all who will believe. The love of Christ will animate the believer with new life. He who drinks from the water of the fountain of life, will be filled with the new wine of the kingdom. Faith in Christ will be the means whereby the right spirit and motive will actuate the believer, and all goodness and heavenly-mindedness will proceed from him who looks unto Jesus, the author and finisher of his faith. Look up to God, look not to men. God is your heavenly Father who is willing patiently to bear with your infirmities, and to forgive and heal them. "This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent" (John 17:3). By beholding Christ, you will become changed, until you will hate your former pride, your former vanity and self-esteem, your self-righteousness and unbelief. You will cast these sins aside as a worthless burden, and walk humbly, meekly, trustfully, before God. You will practice love, patience, gentleness, goodness, mercy, and every grace that dwells in the child of God, and will at last find a place among the sanctified and holy. {1SM 388.1}
Ellen G. White Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 125-127
Chap. 11 - The Call of AbrahamAfter the dispersion from Babel idolatry again became well-nigh universal, and the Lord finally left the hardened transgressors to follow their evil ways, while He chose Abraham, of the line of Shem, and made him the keeper of His law for future generations. Abraham had grown up in the midst of superstition and heathenism. Even his father's household, by whom the knowledge of God had been preserved, were yielding to the seductive influences surrounding them, and they "served other gods" than Jehovah.
But the true faith was not to become extinct. God has ever preserved a remnant to serve Him. Adam, Seth, Enoch, Methuselah, Noah, Shem, in unbroken line, had preserved from age to age the precious revealings of His will. The son of Terah became the inheritor of this holy trust. Idolatry invited him on every side, but in vain. Faithful among the faithless, uncorrupted by the prevailing apostasy, he steadfastly adhered to the worship of the one true God. "The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon Him, to all that call upon Him in truth." Psalm 145:18. He communicated His will to Abraham, and gave him a distinct knowledge of the requirements of His law and of the salvation that would be accomplished through Christ. {PP 125.1}
There was given to Abraham the promise, especially dear to the people of that age, of a numerous posterity and of national greatness: "I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing." And to this was added the assurance, precious above every other to the inheritor of faith, that of his line the Redeemer of the world should come: "In thee shall all families of the earth be blessed." Yet, as the first condition of fulfillment, there was to be a test of faith; a sacrifice was demanded. (p. 126) {PP 125.2}
The message of God came to Abraham, "Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will show thee." In order that God might qualify him for his great work as the keeper of the sacred oracles, Abraham must be separated from the associations of his early life. The influence of kindred and friends would interfere with the training which the Lord purposed to give His servant. Now that Abraham was, in a special sense, connected with heaven, he must dwell among strangers. His character must be peculiar, differing from all the world. He could not even explain his course of action so as to be understood by his friends. Spiritual things are spiritually discerned, and his motives and actions were not comprehended by his idolatrous kindred. {PP 126.1}
"By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went." Hebrews 11:8. Abraham's unquestioning obedience is one of the most striking evidences of faith to be found in all the Bible. To him, faith was "the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Verse 1. Relying upon the divine promise, without the least outward assurance of its fulfillment, he abandoned home and kindred and native land, and went forth, he knew not whither, to follow where God should lead. "By faith he became a sojourner in the land of promise, as in a land not his own, dwelling in tents, with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise." Hebrews 11:9, R.V. {PP 126.2}
It was no light test that was thus brought upon Abraham, no small sacrifice that was required of him. There were strong ties to bind him to his country, his kindred, and his home. But he did not hesitate to obey the call. He had no question to ask concerning the land of promise--whether the soil was fertile and the climate healthful; whether the country afforded agreeable surroundings and would afford opportunities for amassing wealth. God has spoken, and His servant must obey; the happiest place on earth for him was the place where God would have him to be. {PP 126.3}
Many are still tested as was Abraham. They do not hear the voice of God speaking directly from the heavens, but He calls them by the teachings of His word and the events of His providence. They may be required to abandon a career that promises wealth and honor, to leave congenial and profitable associations (p. 127) and separate from kindred, to enter upon what appears to be only a path of self-denial, hardship, and sacrifice.
God has a work for them to do; but a life of ease and the influence of friends and kindred would hinder the development of the very traits essential for its accomplishment. He calls them away from human influences and aid, and leads them to feel the need of His help, and to depend upon Him alone, that He may reveal Himself to them. Who is ready at the call of Providence to renounce cherished plans and familiar associations? Who will accept new duties and enter untried fields, doing God's work with firm and willing heart, for Christ's sake counting his losses gain? He who will do this has the faith of Abraham, and will share with him that "far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory," with which "the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared." 2 Corinthians 4:17; Romans 8:18. {PP 126.4}
The call from heaven first came to Abraham while he dwelt in "Ur of the Chaldees" and in obedience to it he removed to Haran. Thus far his father's family accompanied him, for with their idolatry they united the worship of the true God. Here Abraham remained till the death of Terah. But from his father's grave the divine Voice bade him go forward. His brother Nahor with his household clung to their home and their idols. Besides Sarah, the wife of Abraham, only Lot, the son of Haran long since dead, chose to share the patriarch's, pilgrim life. Yet it was a large company that set out from Mesopotamia. Abraham already possessed extensive flocks and herds, the riches of the East, and he was surrounded by a numerous body of servants and retainers. He was departing from the land of his fathers, never to return, and he took with him all that he had, "their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran." Among these were many led by higher considerations than those of service and self-interest. During their stay in Haran, both Abraham and Sarah had led others to the worship and service of the true God. These attached themselves to the patriarch's household, and accompanied him to the land of promise. "And they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came." {PP 127.1}
The place where they first tarried was Shechem. Under the shade of the oaks of Moreh, in a wide, grassy valley, with its olive groves and gushing springs, between Mount Ebal on the (p. 128) one side and Mount Gerizim on the other, Abraham made his encampment. It was a fair and goodly country that the patriarch had entered--"a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills; a land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of oil olive, and honey." Deuteronomy 8:7, 8. But to the worshiper of Jehovah, a heavy shadow rested upon wooded hill and fruitful plain. "The Canaanite was then in the land." Abraham had reached the goal of his hopes to find a country occupied by an alien race and overspread with idolatry. In the groves were set up the altars of false gods, and human sacrifices were offered upon the neighboring heights. While he clung to the divine promise, it was not without distressful forebodings that he pitched his tent. Then "the Lord appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land." His faith was strengthened by this assurance that the divine presence was with him, that he was not left to the mercy of the wicked. "And there builded he an altar unto the Lord, who appeared unto him." Still a wayfarer, he soon removed to a spot near Bethel, and again erected an altar, and called upon the name of the Lord. {PP 127.2}
Ellen G. White Patriarchs and Prophets, p p. 363-364
Chap. 32 - The Law and the CovenantsAdam and Eve, at their creation, had a knowledge of the law of God; they were acquainted with its claims upon them; its precepts were written upon their hearts. When man fell by transgression the law was not changed, but a remedial system was established to bring him back to obedience. The promise of a Saviour was given, and sacrificial offerings pointing forward to the death of Christ as the great sin offering were established. But had the law of God never been transgressed, there would have been no death, and no need of a Saviour; consequently there would have been no need of sacrifices. {PP 363.1}
Adam taught his descendants the law of God, and it was handed down from father to son through successive generations. But notwithstanding the gracious provision for man's redemption, there were few who accepted it and rendered obedience. By transgression the world became so vile that it was necessary to cleanse it by the Flood from its corruption. The law was preserved by Noah and his family, and Noah taught his descendants the Ten Commandments. As men again departed from God, the Lord chose Abraham, of whom He declared, "Abraham obeyed My voice, and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws." Genesis 26:5. To him was given the rite of circumcision, which was a sign that those who received it were devoted to the service of God--a pledge that they would remain separate from idolatry, and would obey the law of God. The failure of Abraham's descendants to keep this pledge, as shown in their disposition to form alliances with the heathen and adopt their practices, was the cause of their sojourn and bondage in Egypt. But in their intercourse with idolaters, and their forced submission to the Egyptians, the divine precepts became still further corrupted with the vile and cruel teachings of heathenism. Therefore (p. 364) when the Lord brought them forth from Egypt, He came down upon Sinai, enshrouded in glory and surrounded by His angels, and in awful majesty spoke His law in the hearing of all the people. {PP 363.2}
He did not even then trust His precepts to the memory of a people who were prone to forget His requirements, but wrote them upon tables of stone. He would remove from Israel all possibility of mingling heathen traditions with His holy precepts, or of confounding His requirements with human ordinances or customs. But He did not stop with giving them the precepts of the Decalogue. The people had shown themselves so easily led astray that He would leave no door of temptation unguarded. Moses was commanded to write, as God should bid him, judgments and laws giving minute instruction as to what was required. These directions relating to the duty of the people to God, to one another, and to the stranger were only the principles of the Ten Commandments amplified and given in a specific manner, that none need err. They were designed to guard the sacredness of the ten precepts engraved on the tables of stone. {PP 364.1}
If man had kept the law of God, as given to Adam after his fall, preserved by Noah, and observed by Abraham, there would have been no necessity for the ordinance of circumcision. And if the descendants of Abraham had kept the covenant, of which circumcision was a sign, they would never have been seduced into idolatry, nor would it have been necessary for them to suffer a life of bondage in Egypt; they would have kept God's law in mind, and there would have been no necessity for it to be proclaimed from Sinai or engraved upon the tables of stone. And had the people practiced the principles of the Ten Commandments, there would have been no need of the additional directions given to Moses. {PP 364.2}
The sacrificial system, committed to Adam, was also perverted by his descendants. Superstition, idolatry, cruelty, and licentiousness corrupted the simple and significant service that God had appointed. Through long intercourse with idolaters the people of Israel had mingled many heathen customs with their worship; therefore the Lord gave them at Sinai definite instruction concerning the sacrificial service. After the completion of the tabernacle He communicated with Moses from the cloud of glory above the mercy seat, and gave him full directions concerning the system of offerings and the forms of worship to be (p. 365) maintained in the sanctuary. The ceremonial law was thus given to Moses, and by him written in a book. But the law of Ten Commandments spoken from Sinai had been written by God Himself on the tables of stone, and was sacredly preserved in the ark. {PP 364.3}
Ellen G. White comments, The Desire of Ages, pp. 307-308
True character is not shaped from without, and put on; it radiates from within. If we wish to direct others in the path of righteousness, the principles of righteousness must be enshrined in our own hearts. Our profession of faith may proclaim the theory of religion, but it is our practical piety that holds forth the word of truth. The consistent life, the holy conversation, the unswerving integrity, the active, benevolent spirit, the godly example,--these are the mediums through which light is conveyed to the world. {DA 307.1}
Jesus had not dwelt on the specifications of the law, but He did not leave His hearers to conclude that He had come to set aside its requirements. He knew that spies stood ready to seize upon every word that might be wrested to serve their purpose. He knew the prejudice that existed in the minds of many of His hearers, and He said nothing to unsettle their faith in the religion and institutions that had been committed to them through Moses. Christ Himself had given both the moral and the ceremonial law. He did not come to destroy confidence in His own instruction. It was because of His great reverence for the law and the prophets that He sought to break through the wall of traditional requirements which hemmed in the Jews. While He set aside their false interpretations of the law, He carefully guarded His disciples against yielding up the vital truths committed to the Hebrews. {DA 307.2}
The Pharisees prided themselves on their obedience to the law; yet they knew so little of its principles through everyday practice that to them the Saviour's words sounded like heresy. As He swept away the rubbish under which the truth had been buried, they thought He was sweeping away the truth itself. They whispered to one another that He was making light of the law. He read their thoughts, and answered them, saying,-- {DA 307.3}
"Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill." Here Jesus refutes the charge of the Pharisees. His mission to the world is to vindicate the sacred claims of that law which they charge Him with breaking. If the law (p. 308) of God could have been changed or abrogated, then Christ need not have suffered the consequences of our transgression. He came to explain the relation of the law to man, and to illustrate its precepts by His own life of obedience. {DA 307.4}
God has given us His holy precepts, because He loves mankind. To shield us from the results of transgression, He reveals the principles of righteousness. The law is an expression of the thought of God; when received in Christ, it becomes our thought. It lifts us above the power of natural desires and tendencies, above temptations that lead to sin. God desires us to be happy, and He gave us the precepts of the law that in obeying them we might have joy.
When at Jesus' birth the angels sang,-- "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, good will toward men" (Luke 2:14), they were declaring the principles of the law which He had come to magnify and make honorable. {DA 308.1}
When the law was proclaimed from Sinai, God made known to men the holiness of His character, that by contrast they might see the sinfulness of their own. The law was given to convict them of sin, and reveal their need of a Saviour. It would do this as its principles were applied to the heart by the Holy Spirit. This work it is still to do. In the life of Christ the principles of the law are made plain; and as the Holy Spirit of God touches the heart, as the light of Christ reveals to men their need of His cleansing blood and His justifying righteousness, the law is still an agent in bringing us to Christ, that we may be justified by faith. "The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul." Psalm 19:7. {DA 308.2}
"Till heaven and earth pass," said Jesus, "one jot or one tittle shall in nowise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." The sun shining in the heavens, the solid earth upon which you dwell, are God's witnesses that His law is changeless and eternal. Though they may pass away, the divine precepts shall endure. "It is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail." Luke 16:17. The system of types that pointed to Jesus as the Lamb of God was to be abolished at His death; but the precepts of the Decalogue are as immutable as the throne of God. {DA 308.3}
Since "the law of the Lord is perfect," every variation from it must be evil. Those who disobey the commandments of God, and teach others (p. 309) to do so, are condemned by Christ. The Saviour's life of obedience maintained the claims of the law; it proved that the law could be kept in humanity, and showed the excellence of character that obedience would develop. All who obey as He did are likewise declaring that the law is "holy, and just, and good." Romans 7:12. On the other hand, all who break God's commandments are sustaining Satan's claim that the law is unjust, and cannot be obeyed. Thus they second the deceptions of the great adversary, and cast dishonor upon God. They are the children of the wicked one, who was the first rebel against God's law. To admit them into heaven would again bring in the elements of discord and rebellion, and imperil the well-being of the universe. No man who willfully disregards one principle of the law shall enter the kingdom of heaven. {DA 308.4}
Ellen G. White comments, The Desire of Ages, p. 608
The wisdom of Christ's answer had convicted the scribe. He knew that the Jewish religion consisted in outward ceremonies rather than inward piety. He had some sense of the worthlessness of mere ceremonial offerings, and the faithless shedding of blood for expiation of sin. Love and obedience to God, and unselfish regard for man, appeared to him of more value than all these rites. The readiness of this man to acknowledge the correctness of Christ's reasoning, and his decided and prompt response before the people, manifested a spirit entirely different from that of the priests and rulers. The heart of Jesus went out in pity to the honest scribe who had dared to face the frowns of the priests and the threats of the rulers to speak the convictions of his heart. "And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, He said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God." {DA 608.1}
The scribe was near to the kingdom of God, in that he recognized deeds of righteousness as more acceptable to God than burnt offerings and sacrifices. But he needed to recognize the divine character of Christ, and through faith in Him receive power to do the works of righteousness.
The ritual service was of no value, unless connected with Christ by living faith. Even the moral law fails of its purpose, unless it is understood in its relation to the Saviour. Christ had repeatedly shown that His Father's law contained something deeper than mere authoritative commands. In the law is embodied the same principle that is revealed in the gospel. The law points out man's duty and shows him his guilt. To Christ he must look for pardon and for power to do what the law enjoins. {DA 608.2}
The Pharisees had gathered close about Jesus as He answered the question of the scribe. Now turning He put a question to them: "What think ye of Christ? whose son is He?" This question was designed to test their belief concerning the Messiah,--to show whether they regarded Him simply as a man or as the Son of God. A chorus of voices answered, "The Son of David." This was the title which prophecy had given to the Messiah. When Jesus revealed His divinity by His mighty miracles, when He healed the sick and raised the dead, the people had inquired among themselves, "Is not this the Son of David?" The Syrophoenician woman, blind Bartimaeus, and many others had cried to Him for help, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Thou Son of David." Matthew 15:22. While riding into Jerusalem He had been hailed with the (p. 609) joyful shout, "Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord." Matthew 21:9. And the little children in the temple had that day echoed the glad ascription. But many who called Jesus the Son of David did not recognize His divinity. They did not understand that the Son of David was also the Son of God. {DA 608.3}
Ellen G. White comments, The Desire of Ages, pp. 762-763
Through Jesus, God's mercy was manifested to men; but mercy does not set aside justice. The law reveals the attributes of God's character, and not a jot or tittle of it could be changed to meet man in his fallen condition. God did not change His law, but He sacrificed Himself, in Christ, for man's redemption. "God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself." 2 Corinthians 5:19. {DA 762.1}
The law requires righteousness,--a righteous life, a perfect character; and this man has not to give. He cannot meet the claims of God's holy law. But Christ, coming to the earth as man, lived a holy life, and developed a perfect character. These He offers as a free gift to all who will receive them. His life stands for the life of men. Thus they have remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God. More than this, Christ imbues men with the attributes of God. He builds up the human character after the similitude of the divine character, a goodly fabric of spiritual strength and beauty. Thus the very righteousness of the law is fulfilled in the believer in Christ. God can "be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus." Romans 3:26. {DA 762.2}
God's love has been expressed in His justice no less than in His mercy. Justice is the foundation of His throne, and the fruit of His love. It had been Satan's purpose to divorce mercy from truth and justice. He sought to prove that the righteousness of God's law is an enemy to peace. But Christ shows that in God's plan they are indissolubly joined together; the one cannot exist without the other. "Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other." Psalm 85:10. {DA 762.3}
By His life and His death, Christ proved that God's justice did not destroy His mercy, but that sin could be forgiven, and that the law is righteous, and can be perfectly obeyed. Satan's charges were refuted. God had given man unmistakable evidence of His love. {DA 762.4}
Another deception was now to be brought forward. Satan declared that mercy destroyed justice, that the death of Christ abrogated the Father's law. Had it been possible for the law to be changed or abrogated, then Christ need not have died. But to abrogate the law would be to immortalize transgression, and place the world under Satan's control. It was because the law was changeless, because man could be saved only through obedience to its precepts, that Jesus was lifted up on the cross. Yet the very means by which Christ established the law Satan represented as destroying it. Here will come the last conflict of the great controversy between Christ and Satan. {DA 762.5}
That the law which was spoken by God's own voice is faulty, that some specification has been set aside, is the claim which Satan now puts forward. It is the last great deception that he will bring upon the world. He needs not to assail the whole law; if he can lead men to disregard one precept, his purpose is gained. For "whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all." James 2:10. By consenting to break one precept, men are brought under Satan's power. By substituting human law for God's law, Satan will seek to control the world. This work is foretold in prophecy. Of the great apostate power which is the representative of Satan, it is declared, "He shall speak great words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand." Daniel 7:25. {DA 763.1}
Men will surely set up their laws to counterwork the laws of God. They will seek to compel the consciences of others, and in their zeal to enforce these laws they will oppress their fellow men. {DA 763.2}
The warfare against God's law, which was begun in heaven, will be continued until the end of time. Every man will be tested. Obedience or disobedience is the question to be decided by the whole world. All will be called to choose between the law of God and the laws of men. Here the dividing line will be drawn. There will be but two classes. Every character will be fully developed; and all will show whether they have chosen the side of loyalty or that of rebellion. {DA 763.3}
Then the end will come. God will vindicate His law and deliver His people. Satan and all who have joined him in rebellion will be cut off. Sin and sinners will perish, root and branch, (Malachi 4:1),--Satan the root, and his followers the branches. The word will be fulfilled to the prince of evil, "Because thou hast set thine heart as the heart of God; . . . I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. . . . Thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more." Then "the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be;" "they shall be as though they had not been." Ezekiel 28:6-19; Psalm 37:10; Obadiah 16. {DA 763.4}
Ellen G. White Comments, The Acts of the Apostles, p. 238
The people were carried away with admiration for Paul's earnest and logical presentation of the attributes of the true God--of His creative power and the existence of His overruling providence. With earnest and fervid eloquence the apostle declared, "God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that He is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; neither is worshiped with men's hands, as though He needed anything, seeing He giveth to all life, and breath, and all things."
The heavens were not large enough to contain God, how much less were the temples made by human hands! {AA 238.1}
In that age of caste, when the rights of men were often unrecognized, Paul set forth the great truth of human brotherhood, declaring that God "hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth." In the sight of God all are on an equality, and to the Creator every human being owes supreme allegiance. Then the apostle showed how, through all God's dealings with man, His purpose of grace and mercy runs like a thread of gold. He "hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; that they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after Him, and find Him, though He be not far from every one of us." {AA 238.2}
Pointing to the noble specimens of manhood about him, with words borrowed from a poet of their own he pictured the infinite God as a Father, whose children they were. "In Him we live, and move, and have our being," he (p. 239) declared; "as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also His offspring. Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device. {AA 238.3}
Ellen G. White comments, Selected Messages, book 1, p. 240
In the Sermon on the Mount, Christ declared, "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled" (Matthew 5:17, 18). {1SM 240.1}
Christ bore the curse of the law, suffering its penalty, carrying to completion the plan whereby man was to be placed where he could keep God's law, and be accepted through the merits of the Redeemer; and by His sacrifice glory was shed upon the law. Then the glory of that which is not to be done away--God's law of ten commandments, His standard of righteousness--was plainly seen by all who saw to the end of that which was done away. {1SM 240.2}
"We all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord" (2 Corinthians 3:18). Christ is the sinner's advocate. Those who accept His gospel behold Him with open face. They see the relation of His mission to the law, and they acknowledge God's wisdom and glory as revealed by the Saviour. The glory of Christ is revealed in the law, which is a transcript of His character, and His transforming efficacy is felt upon the soul until men become changed to His likeness. They are made partakers of the divine nature, and grow more and more like their Saviour, advancing step by step in conformity to the will of God, till they reach perfection. {1SM 240.3}
The law and the gospel are in perfect harmony. Each upholds the other. In all its majesty the law confronts the conscience, causing the sinner to feel his need of Christ (p. 241) as the propitiation for sin. The gospel recognizes the power and immutability of the law. "I had not known sin, but by the law," Paul declares (Romans 7:7). The sense of sin, urged home by the law, drives the sinner to the Saviour. In his need man may present the mighty arguments furnished by the cross of Calvary. He may claim the righteousness of Christ; for it is imparted to every repentant sinner. God declares, "Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out" (John 6:37). "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). {1SM 240.4}
Ellen G. White comments, Selected Messages, book 1, p. 367
"Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness" (Romans 4:3-5). Righteousness is obedience to the law. The law demands righteousness, and this the sinner owes to the law; but he is incapable of rendering it. The only way in which he can attain to righteousness is through faith. By faith he can bring to God the merits of Christ, and the Lord places the obedience of His Son to the sinner's account. Christ's righteousness is accepted in place of man's failure, and God receives, pardons, justifies, the repentant, believing soul, treats him as though he were righteous, and loves him as He loves His Son. This is how faith is accounted righteousness; and the pardoned soul goes on from grace to grace, from light to a greater light. He can say with rejoicing, "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; that being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life" (Titus 3:5-7). {1SM 367.1}
Again: it is written, "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" (John 1:12, 13). Jesus declared, "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3). "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God" (John 3: (p. 368). It is not a low standard that is placed before us; for we are to become the children of God. We are to be saved as individuals; and in the day of test and trial we shall be able to discern between him that serveth God and him that serveth Him not. We are saved as individual believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. {1SM 367.2}
Ellen G. White comments Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, Sept. 3, 1889
September 3, 1889 Camp-Meeting at Rome, N.Y. - By Mrs. E. G. White.
We left Williamsport, Pa., June 12 for Rome, N.Y. We were glad to leave the flooded district. As I looked at the ruins from the car windows, and as I read the harrowing details of the destruction of human life at Johnstown, I could but think of the greater disasters that are yet to come upon the world. As the restraining power of the Holy Spirit shall be withdrawn, because of the impenitence and ingratitude of men, terrible things will be witnessed in the earth. {RH, September 3, 1889 par. 1}
The diligent Bible student knows that the end of all things is at hand. Those who look to the word of God for instruction, have light to see the binding claims of the law of God. They see that the love of God underlies every precept, and that obedience to these precepts will keep man from working his own unhappiness and ruin. The paternal character of God is revealed in his holy law, proving him to be full of mercy, goodness, and truth. God has manifested unparalleled love in giving his beloved Son to die for fallen man; but men have not appreciated this love, and have refused the gift of salvation. How patiently God has borne with sinners, and will still bear with them till the measure of ingratitude and iniquity is full, and the world is ripe for judgment and wrath. {RH, September 3, 1889 par. 2}
As I looked upon the destruction around me, I determined to be more earnest in warning the people, and in presenting the claims of God's law upon them. Have those who have had great light and great privileges made corresponding improvement? Have they become pure, faithful, and humble before God? The Lord calls for the improvement of every talent he has given, and he will accept the efforts of his servants to become channels of light to others. {RH, September 3, 1889 par. 3}
There were many delays on our journey, but we finally reached Rome Wednesday forenoon. We were heartily welcomed by our friends in New York, and were soon comfortably situated in a tent prepared for us. I felt worn and exhausted, but I esteemed it a privilege to speak to the people who were assembled. I was compelled to use crutches because of again turning my ankle. The pain was so severe that my heart was affected, and has not even yet fully recovered from the shock. {RH, September 3, 1889 par. 4}
I was unable to attend the Sabbath services; but I was glad to learn that our brethren had an excellent meeting. The Spirit of the Lord moved upon the hearts of those assembled, and quite a number came forward for prayers. On Sunday afternoon I spoke from the words, "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal; for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Man will have something with which to occupy his thoughts. The soul cannot be empty. We either love and serve God, or we love and serve mammon. The affections of men cannot be broken from earthly objects unless something of higher value is presented to attract the mind. The enduring treasure and glory of heavenly things must be opened before men, and love of the nobler things of God will win the love of men from the inferior things of earth. {RH, September 3, 1889 par. 5}
As I spoke to the people, the Lord raised me above my infirmities. In my intense interest for souls, I forgot that I was lame and in need of support. On Monday I had special freedom in addressing the people. {RH, September 3, 1889 par. 6}
I have felt anxious that the grace of Christ should come to our brethren in the New York Conference. Our people in this Conference have had much to discourage them; but the Lord sent them special messages of mercy and encouragement. If our brethren will let the light which they have received shine in the various churches of which they are members, it will be diffused, and their own hearts will be more decidedly enlightened; but if they neglect to communicate the light, they will be left in darkness. The Lord would have his church arise and shine; for the brightness of the light of God has shone upon his people in the message of present truth. If all will heed the precious words given them from the Great Teacher through his delegated servants, there will be an awakening throughout our ranks, and spiritual vigor will be imparted to the church. We should all desire to know the truth as it is in Jesus. There are good things in store for those who love God, and all who fervently desire his blessing, will receive light and truth as meat in due season. {RH, September 3, 1889 par. 7}
I felt anxious that the light of heaven might shine upon the people of God in this Conference, that they might zealously repent of their sins, and realize in themselves the fulfillment of the truth uttered by Christ: "The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." The affections of the heart must be changed by the life and power of the word of God, and those who profess the name of Christ must live by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. We felt thankful to our Heavenly Father that his message of hope and courage and faith could come before our brethren and sisters in New York, and we deeply regretted that there were not many others present to share the important instruction that was given. {RH, September 3, 1889 par. 8}
It was a pleasure to meet precious souls with whom we have been acquainted for thirty or forty years. Age is telling upon them; but we rejoice that they still hold aloft the banner of Prince Emmanuel. As the servants of the Lord brought forth things new and old from the treasure-house of his word, hope came to the hearts of these old soldiers in the truth. They knew that the message was what they needed, and felt that it came from God. The feeling of many hearts might be expressed in the words of the apostle: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." {RH, September 3, 1889 par. 9}
The present message--justification by faith--is a message from God; it bears the divine credentials, for its fruit is unto holiness. Some who greatly need the precious truth that was presented before them, we fear did not receive its benefit. They did not open the door of their hearts to welcome Jesus as a heavenly guest, and they have suffered great loss. There is indeed a narrow way in which we must walk; the cross is presented at every step. We must learn to live by faith; then the darkest hours will be brightened by the blessed beams of the Sun of Righteousness. {RH, September 3, 1889 par. 10}
We are not safe if we neglect to search the Scriptures daily for light and knowledge. Earthly blessings cannot be obtained without toil, and can we expect that spiritual and heavenly blessings will come without earnest effort on our part? The mines of truth are to be worked. Says the psalmist, "The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple." The word of God must not be kept apart from our life. It must be entertained in the mind, welcomed in the heart, and be cherished, loved, and obeyed. We need also much more knowledge; we need to be enlightened in regard to the plan of salvation. There is not one in one hundred who understands for himself the Bible truth on this subject that is so necessary to our present and eternal welfare. When light begins to shine forth to make clear the plan of redemption to the people, the enemy works with all diligence that the light may be shut away from the hearts of men. If we come to the word of God with a teachable, humble spirit, the rubbish of error will be swept away, and gems of truth, long hidden from our eyes, will be discovered. {RH, September 3, 1889 par. 11}
There is great need that Christ should be preached as the only hope and salvation. When the doctrine of justification by faith was presented at the Rome meeting, it came to many as water comes to the thirsty traveler. The thought that the righteousness of Christ is imputed to us, not because of any merit on our part, but as a free gift from God, seemed a precious thought. {RH, September 3, 1889 par. 12}
The enemy of man and God is not willing that this truth should be clearly presented; for he knows that if the people receive it fully, his power will be broken. If he can control minds so that doubt and unbelief and darkness shall compose the experience of those who claim to be the children of God, he can overcome them with temptation. That simple faith that takes God at his word should be encouraged. God's people must have that faith which will lay hold of divine power; "for by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God." Not all will receive the light, forsake their sins, and believe the words of eternal life, and without drawing back, go on from one truth to another, until guided into all truth. Those who believe that God for Christ's sake has forgiven their sins, should not, through temptation, fail to press on to fight the good fight of faith. Their faith should grow stronger until their Christian life, as well as their words, shall declare, "The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth me from all sin." {RH, September 3, 1889 par. 13}
Many are in a lukewarm condition, because they do not live by faith, increasing in the knowledge of the truth, going on from light to greater light. Such have need to be greatly alarmed lest that which the Lord has placed within their reach at infinite cost, should be taken away, and given to others who will prize the gift and use it for his glory. There is need of fear and trembling, watchfulness and prayer, lest there be in any of us an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God. If the light that God has given us is held in indifference, if it is not appreciated, it will not increase, but will become darkness. {RH, September 3, 1889 par. 14}
Our only safety is in continually looking to Jesus. By living faith we must appropriate the precious promises; for every promise and command, necessary for our salvation, must become a part of us, that we may become one with Christ. {RH, September 3, 1889 par. 15}
In the days of Christ, there were many who beheld his mighty works, listened to his divine instruction, were impressed, and almost persuaded; but they did not profit by their privileges, for confession was not made unto salvation. The impressions did not last because they did not act out their convictions, and those who had been almost persuaded, were not reckoned on the side of Christ. It is perilous to the soul to hesitate, question, and criticise divine light. Satan will present his temptations until the light will appear as darkness, and many will reject the very truth that would have proved the saving of their souls. Those who walk in its rays will find it growing brighter and brighter unto the perfect day. {RH, September 3, 1889 par. 16}
Every ray of light that Heaven sends is essential for our salvation. We are living in the last days, and the Lord does not mean to leave us in darkness and uncertainty. There are great blessings in store for those who keep the commandments of God, not in name merely, but in sincerity and truth. It has been necessary to exalt the great standard of righteousness, but in doing this, many have neglected to preach the faith of Jesus. If we would have the spirit and power of the third angel's message, we must present the law and the gospel together, for they go hand in hand. As a power from beneath is stirring up the children of disobedience to make void the law of God, and to trample upon the faith of Christ as our righteousness, a power from above is moving upon the hearts of those who are loyal to exalt the law, and to lift up Jesus as a complete Saviour. Unless divine power is brought into the experience of the people of God, false theories and erroneous ideas will take minds captive, Christ and his righteousness will be dropped out of the experience of many, and their faith will be without power or life. Such will not have a daily, living experience of the love of God in the heart, and if they do not zealously repent, they will be among those who are represented by the Laodiceans, who will be spewed out of the mouth of God. {RH, September 3, 1889 par. 17}
The Lord can do little for his people, because of their limited faith. The ministers have not presented Christ in his fullness to the people, either in the churches or in new fields, and the people have not an intelligent faith. They have not been instructed as they should have been, that Christ is unto them both salvation and righteousness. The love that Christ manifested in taking human nature, in bearing insult, reproach, and the rejection of men, in suffering crucifixion on the cross, should be presented in every discourse. It is Satan's studied purpose to keep souls from believing in Christ as their only hope; for the blood of Christ that cleanseth from all sin is only efficacious in behalf of those who believe in its merit, and who present it before the Father as did Abel in his offering. {RH, September 3, 1889 par. 18}
The offering of Cain was an offense to God, because it was a Christless offering. The burden of our message is not only the commandments of God, but the faith of Jesus. A bright light shines upon our pathway today, and it leads to increased faith in Jesus. We must receive every ray of light, and walk in it, that it may not be our condemnation in the judgment. Our duties and obligations become more important as we obtain more distinct views of truth. Light makes manifest, and reproves the errors that were concealed in darkness; and as light comes, the life and character of men must change correspondingly to be in harmony with it. Sins that were once sins of ignorance because of the blindness of the mind, can no more be indulged in without incurring guilt. When light, searched out carefully and prayerfully, is flashed upon the mind from the living oracles, individuals and churches are placed under greater responsibility than before. As increased light is given, men must be reformed, elevated, and refined by it, or they will be more perverse and stubborn than before the light came. {RH, September 3, 1889 par. 19}
Our present position is interesting and perilous. The danger of refusing light from heaven should make us watchful unto prayer, lest we should any of us have an evil heart of unbelief. When the Lamb of God was crucified on Calvary, the death knell of Satan was sounded; and if the enemy of truth and righteousness can obliterate from the mind the thought that it is necessary to depend upon the righteousness of Christ for salvation, he will do it. If Satan can succeed in leading man to place value upon his own works as works of merit and righteousness, he knows that he can overcome him by his temptations, and make him his victim and prey. Lift up Jesus before the people. Strike the door-posts with the blood of Calvary's Lamb, and you are safe. {RH, September 3, 1889 par. 20}


text:
Which sex is the worst about washing up? Why is it so important? We've got the dirty truth on how and when to wash your hands.
Information and Resources
How to Create a Greener, Cleaner, Healthier Home
Household Products and Your Health continued...
Cleaners aren't the only product that can cause trouble. While we all love a sweet-smelling home, household products with fragrance can also create toxic indoor air. If you do one thing, Bark says, try to get all perfumed items -- cologne, hair spray, and particularly air fresheners -- out of your house.
"Air fresheners are just a way of injecting chemicals into the air," says Ted Schettler, MD, MPH. Schettler is science director of the Science & Environmental Health Network, a consortium of environmental agencies concerned with environmental and public health policy.
Christopher Gavigan is chief executive officer of Healthy Child Healthy World, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping create healthy environments for kids. Gavigan points out that "fragrance can be loaded with hundreds of chemicals and that, by law, cleaning manufacturers don't have to label what's in their fragrance." That means there is no good way for consumers to know exactly what they are breathing when they use a perfumed product.
Natural Cleaning Products
Experts recommend taking a more natural -- not to mention cheaper -- approach to dealing with household dirt and grime. "Using 3% peroxide instead of chlorine bleach is a safe and effective way to clean surfaces," Schettler says.
Both Bark and Schettler suggest mixing up your own nontoxic batch of cleaning fluid by combining two cups of white vinegar, two cups of water, and 25 drops of your favorite essential oil for a pleasant smell. You can use this highly effective natural solution for cleaning windows, mirrors, floors, and kitchen and bathroom surfaces and for brightening tiles.
Bark suggests trying other nontoxic alternatives to standard cleaning products. For instance:
- Biokleen Spray & Wipe All Purpose Cleaner works with the use of natural enzymes. Bark says it's "just short of miraculous for cleaning up crusted messes and soaking up unpleasant smells."
- Seventh Generation Natural All Purpose Cleaner eliminates harsh chemicals and synthetic aromas and can clean most household surfaces.
- Trasan Heavy Hitter microfiber cloths have microscopically thin fibers that will sanitize any surface in your home, picking up microscopic-size particles, such as viruses. Just wet them with water and clean. According to Bark, Trasans are used to sanitize patient hospital rooms in Sweden.
- Method Multi-Surface Natural All Purpose Cleaner cleans tough stains on almost any surface without harsh chemicals like phosphates and chlorine. Just be sure to choose the Go Naked version, which is fragrance free.
Switching to natural products doesn't mean you have to sacrifice great-smelling rooms. To freshen air naturally, use essential oils and boil citrus fruit sections, cinnamon, and cloves in a pot with water for an hour.
Healthy Laundry Detergents
Throwing on a soft T-shirt with that just-out-of-the-dryer smell is one of life's small pleasures. Alas, that sweet aroma comes with a price. The chlorine bleach and other harsh ingredients used in laundry products to whiten and freshen clothing not only pollute indoor air but also eventually find their way into waterways where it can be toxic to aquatic life. But among the worst offenders are those fabric softener sheets you toss in the dryer to give your clothes that clean scent, Bark says.
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Featured news
Outlook vulnerable to critical VML bug
Friday, 22 September 2006, 12:56 PM EST
A critical bug in the Internet Explorer (IE) browser also affects users of the Outlook 2003 e-mail client, making it much more serious than previously thought.
The vulnerability can be triggered when IE or Outlook 2003 processes Web-based graphics code written in the Vector Markup Language (VML). It was first reported Monday by researchers at Sunbelt Software Inc.
At InfoWorld.
[ Read more ]


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Tiger Woods woke up in the morning after a long night with 5 hoes with a Shonk, he partied to hard.
লিখেছেন- Tom Bueller 4 de অক্টোবার de 2010
Someone who posts first in a commentary section. With the sole purpose and the sole content of showing that he is first. Admired, even worshipped greatly by all who comment after him/her.
Usually between 11 and 13 years old. With no concept of redundancy.
Usually between 11 and 13 years old. With no concept of redundancy.
Blessed be Shonk, who mightily posted "first" on the comment section.
লিখেছেন- Meitheway 18 de নভেম্বার de 2013
A thing which be-est dodgey in the manner of its fabrication or final design.
Thanks Gimblett, that was totally shonk
লিখেছেন- jimbobbedyjobob 17 de জুন de 2003
A range of sanwhich vans that retail in poor quality greasy food which is most definately not for the feint hearted, otherise known for selling their Shonk
"'cmon lets go to the Shonk van for their utter shonk!"
"Shonky von Shonkerton is out side fancy a samosa?"
"Shonky von Shonkerton is out side fancy a samosa?"
লিখেছেন- Shonky von shonkerton 9 de অক্টোবার de 2008
to pull a fast one,to get one over on someone.To string something out but make it look like youv'e been busy.
Stuarts been shonking on that one again!lazy bastard!
লিখেছেন- bum wad,felch,cream,rabbit knob. 4 de অক্টোবার de 2003
The act of shanking and then shooting a person/animal/object.
Stan was so angry that he shonk Clyde.
লিখেছেন- CoShaDeDine 24 de মে de 2011


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SCAD Hong Kong presents the first large-scale solo exhibition by artist Angel Otero in Hong Kong, which premiered at the SCAD Museum of Art in February. "Material Discovery" features a selection of new and recent paintings. A rising star in the contemporary art world, Otero is known for his process-based approach to painting, specifically his practice of creating "oil skins" that are made from paint poured onto glass and peeled off in dry sheets. These skins are then grafted onto the artist's canvas to create assemblage works composed of additional materials such as resin, spray paint and silicone. The resulting works are simultaneously collage and décollage and present a dynamic, fresh approach to contemporary painting.
The exhibition is free and open to the public.
Gallery hours: 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday-Friday


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Goldstar Member's Event Journal
Thursday November 15, 2012 / 8:30pm (Doors at 7:00pm)Asia
2 tickets
Standing Room Only Promotional Special
1204 Caroline Street
Houston, TX 77002
How was your experience?
If you like any of ASIAs music, you will love this show. They just get better and better. Very intimate at HOB.


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ColorFX, Inc. is a family-owned and operated printing enterprise located in Sun Valley, California, just north of Burbank, off the 5 Freeway with easy access to the 118, the 170, the 405 and 210 Freeways. Our facility for wholesale trade printing consists of a 28,000 square feet freestanding building that has been our home for the past 16 years.
TO BETTER SERVE YOU, ColorFX, Inc. offers that intangible extra-pride. We are proud of being the latest generation of a centuries-old craft. The technology that we employ are the tools to achieve what has always been the goal of the true craftsman - sparkling quality in wholesale printing. It is this culture of excellence at ColorFX, Inc. that causes each member of our staff to be proud of identifying themselves as a printer.
ColorFX is proud to announce the addition of the Xerox iGen4 Variable Printer to its line up as well!
ColorFX, Inc. has, as its foundation, a commitment to quality. This foundation combined with the latest in production digital technology and state-of-the-art equipment is what distinguishes ColorFX, Inc. Our customers have come to rely on these three dimensions of service, and in the process, have become heroes to their own trade customers and successful businesses.
To provide the most convenience to our trade customers, we have one of the most comprehensive and user-friendly custom websites. By simply logging on to www.colorfxweb.com and accessing MySpace, you have the ability to do the following:
• Get Free Estimates including Shipping • Log of all your Estimates • Log of all your Orders • Have your own Dedicated Server space for files & data • Upload any Files from your Dedicated Server • Preflight Files • Approve Jobs for Printing • Track your Job's Progress • Pay Online with different Payment Methods
We provide printing delivery services to all of our clients by request. We can also ship with UPS, Trucking and Air Cargo with Blind labeling and third party deliveries. ColorFX, Inc. will continue to upgrade our existing facility and equipment to provide the highest quality of wholesale trade printing by utilizing the newest technology with Quick Turnaround Times and the Most Competitive Prices. Our goal is to earn your loyalty and to prove why our trade slogan is and always will be "Customer Service Is Our Priority".
Copyright (c) 2009-2012 Color FX, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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ColorFX provides services in the retail and wholesale printing industry.
Our goal as retail and wholesale printers is to provide custom solutions for all
your retail and trade printing needs.
We completely understand our responsibility as trade printers and make it a point
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This kind of evening dress is made of satin and organza fabric. There are appliques decorated around the body of the dress.The real goods will be 95% matched with the photo.
Silhouette: A-Line
Neckline: Sweetheart
Waist: Natural
Hemline / Train: Chapel Train
Sleeve Length: Short Sleeve
Back Details: Zipper
Fully Lined: Yes
Built-In Bra: Yes
Fabric: Satin.Organza
Shown Color: As picture(color may vary by monitor.)
Body Shape: Apple, Inverted Triangle, Rectangle, Petite, Hourglass, Pear, Plus Sizes, Misses
Style: Elegant &Simple
Wedding Venues: Garden / Outdoor, Church, Hall
Season: Spring, Fall, Summer
Current Reviews: 2
This product was added to our catalog on Friday 30 March, 2012.
Please choose your size
1. Measurement on the picture shows the ways for how to measure. Please do not measure over other clothing or with shoes. Make sure the measure tape is parallel to the floor and pulled evenly across the body.
2. Both unites of Inches and Centimeter are available for size, please indicate if you use inches or centimeters.
3. It is suggested to get professional measurement from local Tailor, if you are not sure for the method.
4. It is very normal to have 1 inch error between the sizes you provide and what you will receive. 1 inch will not be accepted reason for any returns or exchanges.
5. For the long dresses and wedding dresses, the 3 inches/ 10cm will be added to the length from hollow to floor automatically during the dress tailoring process. The special indication is necessary if you donÔÇÖt plane to wear the high heel shoes with the dresses.
Customer Reviews:
Displaying 1 to 2 (of 2 reviews)
by Antoinette
OMG !!! i can't help exciding now,so great quality,almost same describe on the pic,i order the pic color,i mean red ,so beautiful.can't wait for my cocktail...
by Hannah
Very interesting model dresses! I'll buy it my girlfriend!
Displaying 1 to 2 (of 2 reviews)


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First Base
First Base, the urban regeneration developer, has strengthened its senior management team with the recruitment of Phil Wade as Operations Director and Mark Shirburne-Davies as Development Director.
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Get Truthdig's headlines in your inbox!
Can Capitalism and Democracy Coexist? (Parts 1, 2 and 3)
Stranger Than Fiction: 'Citizenfour' Is a Dire Parable of Whistle-Blowers and Government Spying
The Simple Reason Behind Why Europe Can Have Climate Targets and the U.S. Can't
Is Egypt Going the Way of Syria?
A Revisionist Take on President Obama
Kap, Cagle Cartoons, Spain —
Milt Priggee, Cagle Cartoons, http://www.miltpriggee.com —
Randall Enos, Cagle Cartoons —
Aislin, Cagle Cartoons, The Montreal Gazette —
The "Saturday Night Live" Weekend Update correspondent made an appearance on KPFK radio's "Pocho Hour of Power" to comment on popes past and present.
Monte Wolverton, Cagle Cartoons —
Steve Sack, Cagle Cartoons, The Minneapolis Star Tribune —
By Signe Wilkinson —
Mike Keefe, Cagle Cartoons —
Daryl Cagle, CagleCartoons.com —
Manny Francisco, Cagle Cartoons, Manila, The Phillippines —
AP/Gregorio Borgia
As The New York Times points out, Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina is the first non-European pope in more than 1,000 years.
Dario Castillejos, Cagle Cartoons, Dario La Crisis —
Cam Cardow, Cagle Cartoons, The Ottawa Citizen —
John Darkow, Cagle Cartoons, Columbia Daily Tribune, Missouri —
The Walton family, better known as the Walmart heirs, have invested millions in trying to privatize Los Angeles public schools; perhaps the true culprit of the sequester is President Obama; meanwhile, the former pope's resignation can be seen as a sound surrender rather than a cowardly abdication. These discoveries and more after the jump.
Bob Englehart, Cagle Cartoons, The Hartford Courant —
Angel Boligan, Cagle Cartoons, El Universal, Mexico City —
Pat Bagley, Cagle Cartoons, Salt Lake Tribune —
In his final address as pontiff, Pope Benedict XVI thanked the large crowd for its support and recalled joyous and difficult moments of his papacy.
Laws proposed this year include a bill whose proponent is an Oklahoma cardiologist who sees venomous effects in hormonal contraception for women; the Obama administration has created a policy that will allow more public access to federally financed research; meanwhile, an Italian newspaper claims Pope Benedict resigned thanks to pressure from a secret gay lobby. These discoveries and more after the jump.
Kap, Cagle Cartoons, La Vanguardia, Spain —
Nick Anderson —
AP/dapd/Daniel Maurer
I don't expect the Vatican to take my advice, which is only fair since I've been ignoring theirs my whole life.
David Fitzsimmons, Cagle Cartoons, The Arizona Star —
By Mike Luckovich —
Fabio Pozzebom / Agencia Brasil
Pope Benedict's resignation shouldn't have surprised us as much as it did. As an institutionalist who believes in the Roman Catholic Church as the carrier of truth in a sinful world, he would worry a great deal about the impact of his own infirmities on the institution's capacity to thrive.
AP/L'Osservatore Romano
Whatever messages Pope Benedict tried to convey during his tenure were "drowned out" by the child abuse scandal and other controversies that rocked the Vatican during his reign, John Hooper writes at The Guardian.
By Mr. Fish —
Many Dutch citizens are attempting to "de-baptize" themselves to protest Pope Benedict's anti-gay marriage declarations; a national database of gun owners may have helped prevent the Newtown shooting; and although the media insist the president is giving in to the Republicans' demands to make cuts to Social Security, Obama's been trying to reduce it all along. These discoveries and more after the jump.
Screenshot via the Pope's Twitter account
After days of buildup, Pope Benedict XVI sent out his first message Wednesday to his hundreds of thousands of Twitter followers.
Pope Benedict XVI claims that, thanks to a sixth-century monk's mistake, the most commonly used calendar is off by several years; topless feminists disguised as nuns protest anti-gay marriage in Paris; meanwhile, mainstream media pile on the same cliches about Israel and Palestine we've been hearing for 40 years. These discoveries and more after the jump.
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Purchase five yards of 45" wide fabric. If the total of the waist measure + the waist to hem length is more than 44", then purchase five yards of 60" wide fabric. You can tweak your yardage requirements after you make your first skirt.
I recommend you make a test skirt using cheap muslin fabric. Once you've made a skirt using these instructions you can redraw the pattern on a large piece of paper to use as a traditional pattern.
1. Cut the 5 yards of fabric in half so you have two 2 1/2 yard (90") long pieces. If using 3 panels, cut the 5 yards of fabric in thirds so you have about 1 2/3 yard (around 60") long pieces.
2. Fold each piece in half.
3. Draw the waistline curve: Measure around the fullest part of your hips or waist – whichever is larger – if you are inserting an elastic waistband. Measure around your waist if you are finishing the waist without elastic.
Find this measure in the hips column in the Waist Chart below. Choose either the 2 or 3 panel measure.
Example: I want to make a skirt with an elastic waist. My hips measure 35". My waist measure is 5".
Pin a length of ribbon to the top corner edge of the fabric. Measure out waist measure and tie the other end to a pencil. Use it as a compass to draw the waistline curve, shown in the image as a dotted blue line.
4. Draw the hemline curve: Measure from your waist (or where you want the skirt to start) down to where you want the skirt to end. Measure down the side of your body without bending over. Add 2" for the hem.
Example: I want my skirt to start at my waist and end just below my knees. With a plastic tape measure I measure from my waist, down the outside of my hip, to just below my knees. This measure is 25". My total skirt length is 27" (25" + a 2" hem).
Mark this measure on the fabric starting at the end of the waist, shown in the image as solid red line. Pin a long length of ribbon to the top corner edge of the fabric. Measure out your waist measure PLUS your waist to hem measure and tie the other end to a pencil. Use it as a compass to draw the hemline curve, shown in the image as dotted red line.
Example: My waist measure is 5". My waist to hem measure is 27". The length of the ribbon from the top edge to the hemline curve is 32".
WAIST CHART (in inches)
The Math: This chart calculates how wide the waist opening has to be to fit over your hips. The math for the waist measure is (hip measurement-(hip measurement*.10))/3.14/2. The .10 is to counter some the bias stretch resulting from a circular cut. The rest of the stretch is taken up by the 1/2" seam allowances.
An inset pocket is easily sewn into the seam allowance before the side seams are sewn.
1. Click here for my free pocket pattern. Cut two pocket pieces out of your fabric to make one pocket.
2. Mark and notch the side of your skirt 7" - 8" from the waist. Be sure to notch both sides at once.
3. Pin one pocket piece below the notch on one skirt side. Sew along the straight seam allowance, all across the pocket. Press out the seam allowance. Flip and press the pocket to the side. Repeat steps 3 & 4 for the other pocket and skirt panel.
4. Stack both pieces right sides together. Line up notch. Mark the bottom curve of the pocket. Draw in the seam allowance on the pocket.
5. Stitch along the entire length of the seam allowance from the waist, around the pockets, and down to the hem. Press open straight stitching seam allowances.
6. Turn inside out. Admire your new inset pocket!
Using french seams? Click for my tutorial on how to insert a pocket using french seams.
Sew or serge the two side seams with a 1/2" seam allowance. Leave the top 5-6" of the seam open if you are using a waistband (non-elastic). Using french seams? Click for my tutorial on how to finish a skirt opening using french seams.
There are various ways to finish the waist:
- add bias tape to insert elastic
- gather it into a waistband
- add a facing
Here are several different hem techniques:
- simple hem using Gertie's technique
- use a rolled hem foot with your straight stitch machine
- attach a ruffle to the bottom of hem
- fold the hem to the right side and cover with trim.
- serge the bottom edge, fold to inside and sew down with a straight stitch.
- serge the bottom edge with a finished rolled hem.


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Inductive vs Deductive Reasoning Help (page 3)
Introduction to Inductive vs Deductive Reasoning
"You should carefully study the Art of Reasoning, as it is what most people are very deficient in, and I know few things more disagreeable than to argue, or even converse with a man who has no idea of inductive and deductive philosophy."
—William J. Wills, explorer (1834–1861)
Lesson Summary
You hear arguments of all kinds throughout the day. In this lesson, you'll learn how to recognize the components of a deductive argument and how it differs from an inductive argument.
Consider the following conversation:
- "Junior, time to go to bed."
- "But why?"
- "Because I said so!"
Only a parent can get away with giving the answer "because I said so." But even parents sometimes have trouble using this approach to make a convincing argument. It's important to provide qualifiable reasons for asking someone to accept a claim or take a certain action. Providing qualifiable reasons is the best way to support your argument.
In the next three lessons, you're going to learn about deductive arguments: what they are, how they work, and how to recognize (and make) a good deductive argument—one that supports its assertions.
First, you need to know what deductive reasoning is. To help define it, the counterpart of deductive reasoning, which is inductive reasoning, will be introduced first.
Inductive Reasoning
When detectives arrive at the scene of a crime, the first thing they do is look for clues that can help them piece together what happened. A broken window, for example, might suggest how a burglar entered or exited. Likewise, the fact that an intruder didn't disturb anything but a painting that hid a safe might suggest that the burglar knew exactly where the safe was hidden. And this, in turn, suggests that the burglar knew the victim.
The process described above is called inductive reasoning. It consists of making observations and then drawing conclusions based on those observations.
Like a detective, you use inductive reasoning all the time in your daily life. You might notice, for example, that every time you eat a hot dog with chili and onions, you get a stomachache. Using inductive reasoning, you could logically conclude that the chili dogs cause indigestion, and that you should probably stop eating them. Similarly, you might notice that your cat tries to scratch you every time you rub her stomach. You could logically conclude that she does not like her stomach rubbed. In both examples, what you're doing is moving from the specific—a particular observation—to the general—a larger conclusion. Inductive reasoning starts from observation and evidence and leads to a conclusion.
Using inductive reasoning generally involves the following questions:
- What have you observed? What evidence is available?
- What can you conclude from that evidence?
- Is that conclusion logical?
We'll come back to these questions in a later lesson. For now, you know enough about inductive reasoning to see how deductive reasoning differs from it.
The word syllogism means "logical appeal" and is considered a type of logical argument and an important element in formal conclusions and premises. Truth tables, on the other hand, are mathematical tables that examine numerical formulas—and are way too complicated to cover here!
Deductive Reasoning
Unlike inductive reasoning, which moves from specific evidence to a general conclusion, deductive reasoning does the opposite; it generally moves from a conclusion to the evidence for that conclusion. In inductive reasoning, the conclusion has to be "figured out" and we must determine whether or not the conclusion is valid. In deductive reasoning, on the other hand, we start with the conclusion and then see if the evidence for that conclusion is valid. Generally, if the evidence is valid, the conclusion it supports is valid as well. In other words, deductive reasoning involves asking:
- What is the conclusion?
- What evidence supports it?
- Is that evidence logical?
If you can answer yes to question 3, then the conclusion should be logical and the argument sound.
It's easy to confuse inductive and deductive reasoning, so here's something to help you remember which is which:
- Inductive: Evidence · Conclusion (IEC)
- Deductive: Conclusion · Evidence (DCE)
Inductive reasoning starts with the evidence and moves to the conclusion. Deductive reasoning begins with the conclusion and moves to the evidence for that conclusion. Here's a memory trick to help you: You can remember that the word Inductive begins with a vowel, as does Evidence, so in inductive reasoning, you start with the evidence. Deductive begins with a consonant, and so does Conclusion, which is where you begin in deductive reasoning.
In the field of logic, deductive reasoning includes formal (mathematical or symbolic) logic such as syllogisms and truth tables. Some practice with formal logic will certainly sharpen your critical thinking and reasoning skills, but this book won't cover that kind of logic. Instead, we will continue to focus on informal logic—that is, the kind of critical thinking and reasoning skills that help you solve problems, assess and defend arguments, and make effective decisions in your daily life.
The Parts of a Deductive Argument
Problem-Solving Strategies Help talked about the importance of identifying the main issue in order to solve a problem. You learned to ask yourself, "What is the real problem to be solved here?" Then you took that problem and broke it down into its parts.
In looking at deductive arguments, you should follow a similar process. First, you should identify the conclusion. The conclusion is the main claim or point the argument is trying to make. The various pieces of evidence that support that conclusion are called premises. Keep in mind that an argument is not necessarily a fight. In talking about inductive and deductive reasoning, an argument refers to a claim that is supported by evidence. Whether or not that evidence is good is another matter!
Identifying the conclusion is often more diffi- cult than you might expect, because conclusions can sometimes seem like premises, and vice versa. Another difficulty is that you're used to thinking of conclusions as coming at the end of something. But in deductive arguments, the conclusion can appear anywhere. Thus, when someone presents you with a deductive argument, the first thing you should do is ask yourself: "What is the main claim, or overall idea, that the argument is trying to prove?"
In other words, just as a problem is often composed of many parts, the conclusion in a deductive argument is often composed of many premises. So it's important to keep in mind the "big picture."
Claim: assertion about the truth, existence, or value of something
argument: a claim supported by evidence
Conclusion: the main claim or point in an argument
premises: pieces of evidence that support the conclusion
The Structure of Deductive Arguments
The conclusion in a deductive argument can be supported by premises in two different ways. Say you have an argument with three premises supporting the conclusion. In one type of deductive argument, each premise provides its own individual support for the conclusion. That is, each premise alone is evidence for that main claim. In the other type of argument, the premises work together to support the conclusion. That is, they work like a chain of ideas to support the argument. These two types of arguments are represented as diagrams on page 56.
Here's how these two structures might look in a real argument:
Separate support: You shouldn't take that job. The pay is lousy, the hours are terrible, and there are no benefits.
Chain support: You shouldn't take that job. The pay is lousy, which will make it hard for you to pay your bills, and that will make you unhappy.
Notice how in the second version, the entire argument builds upon one idea, the lousy pay, whereas in the first, the argument is built upon three separate ideas. Both, however, are equally logical.
Of course, an argument can have both separate and chain support. We'll see an example of that shortly. What's important now is to understand that when premises depend upon each other, as they do in the chain support structure, what we really have is a chain of premises and conclusions. Look how the layers of a chain support argument work:
Conclusion: It will be hard to pay your bills.
Premise: The pay is lousy.
Conclusion: That will make you unhappy.
Premise: It will be hard to pay your bills.
Premise: That will make you unhappy.
Overall conclusion: You shouldn't take that job.
Because deductive arguments often work this way, it's very important to be able to distinguish the overall conclusion from the conclusions that may be used in the chain of support.
If the term conclusion rings a bell with you, it might be a leftover from English class. When you write an essay, the final paragraph is the conclusion. It is where you put everything else you wrote about together and write a summarizing statement of some kind. It's the same thing in an argument: put together all that you know and come up with asolid conclusion. Just make sure it makes sense!
Identifying the Overall Conclusion
Read the following sentences:
He's tall, so he must be a good basketball player. All tall people are good basketball players.
These two sentences represent a small deductive argument. It's not a particularly good argument, but it is a good example of deductive structure. If these two sentences are broken down into their parts, three different claims arise:
- He's tall.
- He must be a good basketball player.
- All tall people are good basketball players.
Now ask the key question: "What is this argument trying to prove?" In other words, what is the conclusion?
Two clues should help you come up with the right answer. First, look at which claims have support (evidence) in this example. Is there anything here to support the claim that "He is tall"? No. Is there anything to support the claim, "All tall people are good basketball players"? No. But there are premises to support the claim, "He must be a good basketball player." Why must he be a good basketball player? Because:
- He is tall.
- All tall people are good basketball players.
Therefore, the conclusion of this argument is: "He must be a good basketball player." That is what the writer is trying to prove. The premises that support this conclusion are "He is tall" and "All tall people are good basketball players."
A second clue in the conclusion that "He must be a good basketball player" is the word so. Several key words and phrases indicate that a conclusion will follow. Similarly, certain words and phrases indicate that a premise will follow:
Indicate a Conclusion:
- Accordingly
- As a result
- Consequently
- Hence
- It follows that
- So
- That's why
- Therefore
- This shows/means/suggests that
- Thus
Indicate a Premise:
- As indicated by
- As shown by
- Because
- For
- Given that
- Inasmuch as
- Since
- The reason is that
Now, are the premises that support the conclusion, "He must be a good basketball player," separate support or chain support?
You should be able to see that these premises work together to support the conclusion. "He is tall" alone doesn't support the conclusion, and neither does "All tall people are good basketball players." But the two premises together provide support for the conclusion. Thus, the example is considered a chain of support argument.
The Position of the Conclusion
While you might be used to thinking of the conclusion as something that comes at the end, in a deductive argument, the conclusion can appear in different places. Here is the same argument rearranged in several different ways:
- He must be a good basketball player. After all, he's tall, and all tall people are good basketball players.
- All tall people are good basketball players. Since he's tall, he must be a good basketball player.
- He's tall, and all tall people are good basketball players. He must be a good basketball player.
- He must be a good basketball player. After all, all tall people are good basketball players, and he's tall.
- All tall people are good basketball players. He must be a good basketball player because he's tall.
In larger deductive arguments, especially the kind found in articles and essays, the conclusion will often be stated before any premises. But it's important to remember that the conclusion can appear anywhere in the argument. The key is to keep in mind what the argument as a whole is trying to prove.
One way to test that you've found the right conclusion is to use the "because" test. If you've chosen the right claim, you should be able to put because between it and all of the other premises. Thus:
He must be a good basketball player because he's tall and because all tall people are good basketball players.
Working with Arguments In Short
Unlike inductive arguments, which move from evidence to conclusion, deductive arguments move from the conclusion to evidence for that conclusion. The conclusion is the overall claim or main point of the argument, and the claims that support the conclusion are called premises. Deductive arguments can be supported by premises that work alone (separate support) or together (chain of support).
Skill Building until Next Time
- When you hear an argument, ask yourself whether it is an inductive or deductive argument. Did the person move from evidence to conclusion, or conclusion to evidence? If the argument is too complex to analyze this way, try choosing just one part of the argument and see whether it's inductive or deductive.
- When you come across deductive arguments today, try to separate the conclusion from the premises. Then consider whether the premises offer separate or chain support.
Exercises for this concept can be found at Inductive vs Deductive Reasoning Practice.
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