WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
An international Sunday school lesson commentary
For Sunday May 5, 2019
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DISCIPLES
OF JESUS ARE CALLED TO RIGHTEOUSNESS
(CHRIST
took our punishment)
(Romans
3)
In the biblical
Greek, the word used for “justification” is “dikaiosune” (dik-ah-yos-oo-nay),
and it is “equity in character or action”, and is thereby, “righteousness”. In
the biblical sense, the word has a dual meaning. First it means that a person
is pronounced “not guilty” before GOD, and then secondly, it means that that
same person is pronounced “righteous” in CHRIST.
Justification is a one-time event that
happens at the very moment that one decides to get on the road to “Salvation”
through CHRIST JESUS, giving HIM control of the throne of their life. Afterwards,
the process of “Sanctification” begins, and must continue on for the remainder
of the life of the person who is “being saved” through their pledge to CHRIST.
The “justified” person is then expected by GOD to become more and more like
CHRIST, keeping his or her pledge faithfully with each passing day, in terms of
their obedience and behavior.
The great advantage the Jews had, at one
time, was that they, as a nation, had sole possession of GOD’s Word. However,
more often than not, they chose to disobey it. Thanks to GOD’s grace, “a lack
of faith” by them, did not nullify HIS faithfulness to them. GOD’s continuing
grace and mercy is not affected by our propensity to perpetually live a sinful
life under HIM. GOD gives us wills that are free, and therefore, HE wants us to
make “the only right choice”, voluntarily joining HIS family of believers, be
we Jews or Gentiles.
GOD’s law was never given for the express purpose
of saving us, but rather, its purpose has always been to make us aware of our sins
against HIM, WHO created us. 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 in general, often misunderstood
the meaning of their special position of “privilege” with GOD. Paul, however,
believed it was special, because, with it, came a certain “responsibility”. He
knew that the special privilege didn’t afford them with the license 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 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 keeping the Ten Commandments, and not with special privileges.
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.
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. When
pride sets the “will of man” against the “Will of GOD”, the end result is
always “sin”.
When a person has sinned, they sometimes
display an amazing ingenuity to justify it. In verse 26 of this third chapter
of Romans, we see a wonderful paradox being displayed. Here Paul tells us that
GOD is “just and fair”, and that, in that incredible, miraculous grace that
JESUS came to deliver to us, GOD accepts the sinner, not as a criminal, but rather,
as a son whom HE still loves.
Remember, obedience to the laws of GOD “is
what we can do for ourselves”. “Grace”, on the other hand, is concerned with what
GOD is doing for us, and, with what we can do for each other. The laws of GOD
serve to show us, just how far we are from HIS high and glorious standards. It
exposes to us, things that we didn’t even know were sins before we received it.
Furthermore, the law shows us, very vividly, our need for grace, and, for a
SAVIOR.
GOD’s grace gives us a chance to escape the
bondage of sin, as there is nothing good in our own flesh. The only way for us
to be reconciled to GOD is through grace received as a result of our belief in
our LORD and SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST. Remember, all of our human acts are tainted
by our own sin nature, and thereby, less than perfect, and not acceptable to
GOD.
GOD’s Law serves to show us our
imperfections, and when we are measured by HIS glorious standard, we all come
up way short. Everyone has already been judged by GOD’s Law, and the verdict
has been announced by GOD, as guilty. Our righteousness, or justification, can
never come from our own acts. It can only come from the acts of GOD, WHO, is our
SAVIOR, through JESUS CHRIST, WHO sent us the immeasurable help of the HOLY
SPIRIT.
A
Sunday school lesson by,
Larry
D. Alexander
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