Romans 3: Then whats the advantage of being a Jew? Is there any value in the ceremony of circumcision? Yes, there are great benefits! First if all, the Jews were entrusted with the whole revelation of God. True, some of them were unfaithful; but just because they were unfaithful, does that mean God will be unfaithful? Of course not! Even if everyone else is a liar, God is true. As the scriptures say about him, you will be proved right in what you say, and you will win your case is court. But, some might say, our sinfulness serves a good purpose, for it helps people see how righteous God is. Isnt it unfair, then, for him to punish us? (This is merely a human point of view.) Of course not! If God were not entirely fair, how would he be qualified to judge the world? But, someone might still argue, how can God condemn me as a sinner if my dishonesty highlights his truthfulness and brings him more glory? And some people even slander us by claiming that we say, the more we sin, the better it is! Those who say such things deserve to be condemned. Well then, should we conclude that we Jews are better than others? No, not at all, for we have already shown that all people, whether Jews or Gentiles, are under the power of sin. As the scriptures say, No one is righteous-- not even one. No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God. All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one. Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave. Their tongues are filled with lies. Snake venom drips from their lips. Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness. They rush to commit murder. Destruction and misery always follow them. They dont even know where to find peace. They have no fear of God at all. Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God. For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are. But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of Gods glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty of our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, how he himself is fair and just, and he declares sinners to be right in his sight when they believe in Jesus. Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law. After all, is God the God of the Jews only? Isnt he also the God of the Gentiles? Of course he is. There is only one God, and he makes people right with himself only by faith, whether they are Jews or Gentiles. Well then, if we emphasize faith, does this mean that we can forget about the law? Of course not! In fact, only when we have faith do we truly fulfill the law. My outlooks: The bible has dismantled the common excuses of people who refuse to admit they are sinners: 1.) there is no God or I follow my conscience; 2.) Im not as bad as other people; 3.) Im a church member or Im a religious person. No one will be exempt from Gods judgement of sin. Every person must accept the fact that he or she is sinful and condemned before God and recover Gods wonderful gift of salvation. The Jewish nation had great benefits. 1.) they were I trusted with Gods laws 2.) they were the race through whom the Messiah came to earth 3.) they were the beneficiaries of covenants with God himself. But these privileges did not make them better than anyone else. In fact, because of them the Jews were even more responsible to live up to Gods requirements. Some may think they dont have to worry about son because 1.) its Gods job to forgive; 2.) God is so loving that he wont judge; 3.) sin isnt so bad--it teaches valuable lessons; or 4.) we need to stay in touch with the culture around us. It is far too easy to take Gods grace for granted. But God cannot overlook sin. No matter how many excuses they make, sinners will have to answer to God for their sin. Humanity in general, in its present sinful condition is unacceptable before God. Have you ever thought to yourself, well Im not too bad. Im a pretty good person? Have you ever lied? Have you ever hurt someones feeling by your words or tone of voice? Are you bitter toward anyone? Do you become angry with those who disagree with you? In thought, word and deed, you, like everyone else in the world, stand guilty before God. We must remember who we are in his sight--alienated sinners. dont deny that you are a sinner. Instead, allow your desperate need to point you toward Christ. No one is righteous mean no one is innocent. Every person is valuable in Gods eyes because God created us in his image, and he loves us. But no one is good enough (that is, no one can earn right standing with God). Though we are valuable, we have fallen into sin. But God, through Jesus his Son, has redeemed us and offers to forgive us if we turn to him in faith. The last time someone accused you of wrongdoing, what was your reaction? Denial, argument, and defensiveness? The entire world will be silent before God. No excuses Or arguments will remain. Have you reached the point with God where you are ready to hang up your defenses and await his decision? If you havent, stop now and admit your sin to him. Because of the law we know that we are helpless sinners and that we must come to Jesus Christ for mercy. The moral code revealed in the law can serve to guide our actions by holding up Gods moral standards. We do not earn salvation by keeping the law (no one but Jesus Christ could keep Gods law perfectly), but we do please God when our life conforms to his revealed will for us. Some sins seem bigger than others because their obvious consequences are much more serious. But this does not mean that because we only commit little sins we deserve eternal life. All sins make us sinners, and all sins cut us off from our holy God. Dont minimize little sins or overrate big sins. They all separate us from God, but they all can be forgiven. When God forgives our sins, our record is wiped clean. From his perspective, it is as though we never sinned. He could do this because Jesus took the penalty we deserved. Christ purchased our freedom from sin, and the price was his life. God forgave all human sin at the cross of Jesus. Have you put your trust in him? His sacrifice begins pardon, deliverance, and freedom. We are saved only by trusting in what God has done for us. Why does God save us by faith alone? 1.) faith eliminates the pride of human effort, because faith is not a deed that we do. 2.) faith exalts what God has done, not what we do. 3.) faith admits that we cant keep the law or measure up to Gods standards--we need help. 4.) faith is based on our relationship with God, not our performance for God. Song of the day: My redeemer lives! By Nicole C. Mullen
Posted on: Tue, 26 Nov 2013 03:53:27 +0000
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