Preschool
Overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21).
Our Helpless Estate
Memory Verses
Primary
Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21).
Junior
Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord (Romans 12:19).
Background Scripture: Romans 3
Lesson Scripture: Romans 3:10-12, 19-26
Introduction
When God promised Abraham that his descendants would be like the stars in number, He was probably also referring to you and me. Even though we are children of Abraham by belief rather than bloodline, we can easily fall into the same trap that ensnared the Pharisees. Like them, we can slip into the belief that righteousness is attained through our performance or by a self-prescribed standard.
In this lesson, we will seek to understand how much we need God’s grace for his approval. We are in a position to see ourselves honestly when we can view the full scope of our strengths and weaknesses and see where we are insufficient. We will see ourselves as dearly loved but unworthy and, only then, gain a true appreciation for what Christ has done to settle our debt.
Key Verse
That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: but now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ (Eph. 2:12-13).
Lesson Scripture
Romans 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
Studying the Lesson
Paul’s letter to the Romans contains a complete and clear explanation of the gospel. To understand the gospel fully, one must first understand the law and its proper role in God’s plan. As Paul writes in verse 19, we will have nothing to say in the face of our guilt when we understand the law.
The law contains an aspect of God’s perfection. It is the standard against which our performance is measured. Any failure on any point of the law is a failure against the whole law (James 2:10). There is no possible path by which humans, unaided, can attain the perfection the law requires.
As the Scripture explains, that was never the point. The law was given to bring our need of God into sharp relief. We fall short of the demands the law places on us. When measured by our inability to help ourselves, the equality among all humans is absolute.
The law lays out an aspect of God’s perfection He wishes for us to recognize. Just as God was too much to take in when He appeared to Moses, his law is impossible to fully comprehend. Its demands extend beyond what we can perceive and sets the bar above fallen man’s capability.
In the eyes of God, Christ as the Son of Man remains the only flesh ever to completely satisfy the law. Believing in his perfection, accepting his perfect atonement for sin, and walking in obedience is what fulfills the requirements for us to stand in God’s presence. This is the only path to walking with God. Acknowledgment of our needs drives us to the foot of the cross.
All are brought low by the law, but Jesus’s act of love is so complete that we can receive an inheritance with Him before God.
Practical Truths for Today
Mankind tends to think that the worst sins and atrocities of man are confined to history books. Evil people, like those who lived before the flood, the citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah, or those who engineered the atrocities of the twentieth century, are often cropped out of the past and set against modern man’s morality.
Some of these events serve as benchmarks for evil in the world but can be misused as a guide. Most people will admit that they are imperfect and flawed but will use those things universally viewed as evil to build a case for being a good person. We may acknowledge our sin or failure but present something worse to illustrate that what we did was not so bad. With this attitude, the vilest sins are measured against personal wrongdoing and can leave us relaxed in an unredeemed or unconsecrated state.
For the Christian, the value in tragic, historic events should be different. Yes, these stories represent the depravity of man at its worst, but if we are to look at it honestly, all wickedness is committed by sinners, a category of people we also belong to. If we see the horror of sin, we begin to get a clearer view of how God views it.
Try to imagine a mass murderer trying to make their crimes right, and we can get a glimpse of the weakness of our own works. No amount of good works would have brought the thousands of innocent people back to life; no quantity of virtuous acts will undo a lie or repay stepping outside the grace of God.
Thankfully, God has lovingly extended to us a way out of sin and into righteousness. The Word became flesh for a helpless world. In this perfect Man, all the law’s requirements were finally met. By belief in Him, we are justified before God. Christ is more than just willing to take on the sin of all; He yearns for us to acknowledge our failure and great need. It was never God’s intention that we remain without hope, only that we would realize our need of salvation and turn to Him.
Satan’s desire is for us to remain trapped in an attitude of comparative morality. He likes nothing better than to see us justifying ourselves by pointing at those who have committed worse sins. He surely enjoys watching someone paste yesterday’s evils into today’s book of justification because it diminishes the power of Christ’s redemption.
God allows us the freedom to choose right or wrong, even the freedom to deny his existence. But it is only because of Jesus’s death and his sacrifice for sin on the cross that we can truly be set free and pursue successful, Christian living. The law of sowing and reaping, from agriculture to finance to spiritual things, is immutable. A Christian can realize great gain all because of the wonderful inheritance God has provided those who truly believe.
Although God allows us to freely access his blessings, this should not cheapen them in our mind. Instead, we should stand in awe of a generous, giving God. Even those who ignore his call enjoy a certain amount of benefit by living in the gospel dispensation.
The freedom to pursue material things cannot be construed as a means of earning God’s favor; material gain is not an avenue of access to God. The way is narrow, and God’s favor is gained only through repentance and acknowledging that all we have is due to what Christ did on our behalf.
Questions
- How do we come to an appropriate assessment of our helplessness without adopting a defeatist attitude?
- How do we come to view ourselves like Paul viewed himself—as chief of sinners, yet leaving a positive testimony of having fought a good fight?
- The Old Testament provides a lot of the evidence we have of God’s wrath toward sin. Is there something we should do to preserve a correct concept of God’s nature in the context of modern society’s godlessness?
- How do we encourage young people to make good decisions without them being repulsed by a perceived condescending attitude?
Source: COGICM Daily Bible Readings (Daily Bible Readings, PO Box 124, Glenn, CA 95943).