WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
An international Sunday school lesson commentary
For Sunday July 10, 2016
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GOD’S LAWS REVEAL HOW SINFUL WE ARE
(GOD remains faithful to a disobedient people)
(Romans 3:1-19)
In the Greek,
the word used for “justification” is “dikaiosune” (dik-ah-yos-oo-nay), and it
is “equity in character or action”, or, “righteousness”. However, in the
biblical sense, the word “Justification” takes on a dual meaning. First it
means that a person is pronounced “not guilty” before GOD, by GOD, and, that
that same person is also pronounced as being “righteous” by GOD. However, that
person’s new-found righteousness is an “imputed righteousness” that is made
possible by the sacrifice of JESUS CHRIST, our LORD and SAVIOR, and is not
earned by the person who has that righteousness bestowed upon them.
Justification is a one-time event that
happens at the very moment of one receiving “Salvation” from GOD. Then, the
process of Salvation or “Sanctification” begins. Sanctification is a lifelong
process, by which the “saved” person is expected to become more like CHRIST, with
each passing day, in terms of their behavior, and “representation of GOD”, here
on earth is concerned.
The great advantage that the Jews had, at
one time, was that they had possession of GOD’s Word all to themselves, and
more often than not, they chose not to obey it. Thanks to GOD’s grace, a lack
of faith by them, did not nullify HIS faithfulness to them. GOD’s law was never
intended to be used by GOD to save us, but rather, it is used by GOD to make us
aware of our sins.
GOD, through the Scriptures, has revealed a
righteousness that has nothing to do with the law. And since all have sinned,
and fallen short of the glory of GOD, all need to be justified by a “Grace
Gift” given only to those who have faith in JESUS CHRIST.
The Jews often misunderstood the meaning of
their special position with GOD. Paul believed it was special because with it
came with a certain responsibility. He knew the special position didn’t afford
them to do what “they” like, but rather, it afforded them with a responsibility
to do what GOD likes.
In verse 2 of this passage, the word Paul
uses for the phrase “oracles of GOD”, in his original Greek writings, is
“logia”, and it is “a special statement, or pronouncement from GOD”. Here it
means the “Ten Commandments”, and here in verses 2-3, Paul is saying that GOD
entrusted the Jews with actively keeping the Ten Commandments with their lifestyle
and behavior, and not by focusing on them as being endowed with special
privileges, whether they obeyed them or not.
The Jews never quite grasped the fact that,
GOD’s “special choice” of them, was made for the purpose of “special duty” and
responsibility to HIM. Responsibility is always the “obverse” of privilege. In fact,
the more opportunity a person has to do right, the greater their condemnation
is, when they chose to do wrong. The root of all sin is disobedience to GOD’s
law, and in fact, disobedience to GOD’s law is the very definition of sin. Whenever
“pride” sets the “will of man” against the “Will of GOD”, the end result is
always “sin”.
Some
people even foolishly believe that our sin serves a good purpose in that we
will see GOD’s goodness when HE ultimately declares us innocent of sin after HE
forgives those who repent. However, if that were the case then GOD’s punishment
for us sinning in the first place, would be unjust, and completely unfair. And if
GOD is not “just” and “fair”, then, how is HE qualified to judge the world that
HE HIMSELF created (Vs.5-6).
It
wouldn’t make sense for GOD to judge and condemn us if our sins and dishonesty actually
highlighted HIS truthfulness and brought HIM more glory. We can only glorify
GOD by obeying HIM, not by disobeying HIM. In fact, if we follow and adhere to
that kind of thinking and logic (thinking our sin glorifies GOD), we are
actually saying that, the more we sin, the better it makes GOD look. Anyone who
harbors such foolish thoughts deserves to be condemned (Vs.7-8).
All
races of people are sinners, and the Jews that GOD chose as HIS “figurative
representative nation” on earth, are no different. All people who have ever
lived in this world were indeed born into “the sinful state of the world” that
already had existed since the first man, Adam, was created by the literal hands
of GOD. And even though GOD made Adam and Eve perfect in the beginning, they squandered
that perfection of “GOD’s Nature”, and accepted instead, the “sinful nature” of
satan.
Since
that time no one has been sinless as a human being, except JESUS, no, not even
one. No one has had real understanding instilled in them by their parents, and
therefore, no one has chosen soon enough to seek GOD earnestly. We’ve all, at
one time or another, chosen to turn away from GOD in order to pursue our own
will, and as a result, our lives have gone terribly awry (Vs.9-12).
In
verses 13-18 the Apostle Paul gives us a laundry list of characteristics that
describes perhaps, the worst case scenario, of one who has chosen to live
outside of GOD, or has never experienced the benefits of a life abiding in GOD;
“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.
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 don’t
know where to find peace.”
“They have no fear of God at all.” (NLT)
“They have no fear of God at all.” (NLT)
Laws
apply to whoever they are given, in the world, and, in one’s dealings in life
under GOD. The main purpose of any law is to keep people from having excuses
and to bring everyone into judgment before man, and also ultimately, before GOD,
the creator of man. If we judge ourselves first, according to the law, and live
our lives in obedience to the law, in the end, we won’t have to suffer the
penalty of the law.
From
the day of our first sin, we become labeled as sinners, and we can’t ourselves,
un-ring a bell, for only GOD can. Through the vicarious sacrifice of CHRIST
JESUS, GOD has begun the process of un-ringing the bell of sin, and restoring
us back into a right relationship of friendship with HIM. And ultimately, GOD says
HE will grant to the believers in CHRIST JESUS, a “new human spirit” (Ezekiel
36:26), and with it, we will be able to enter into, first, the Millennial
Kingdom, here on earth, and, into the Kingdom of Heaven, bypassing the White
Throne Judgment, in the last day.
A Sunday school lesson by,
Larry D. Alexander
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