SCRIPTURE: Romans 3
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
Paul is making the point that the Law does not make the Jews superior because they are now better people, but because it exposes their sin, and reveals their need for divine mercy and help. Across the board, whether Jewish or not, people are guilty of rejecting and offending God. The Jews were established as a light – not by their own perfection but by God’s truth revealed through them. The blessing that they were to bring to the world was a consciousness of sin, and of our need for God’s mercy and help.
The Jews did not understand this. They thought having and keeping the Law of Moses made them morally superior to the other nations. They assumed that by observing the Law, they were more worthy of God’s love. Yet Jesus teaches them and us that even the most holy, the most pure, the most obedience Jews (the Pharisees) are not pure enough. “For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.” [Matthew 5:20]. How do we do better than the Pharisees? The answer – we don’t, we can’t. The answer, Jesus helps us.
He is the righteousness of God, He is the only perfect human to ever live, to keep God’s law perfectly. He does it for us because we can’t do it for Him. This is the gift, the good news: those who cling to Jesus by faith are welcomed just as they are, as perfect in Him. By accepting Jesus, putting our faith in Him, we are joined to Him in His death, so that our guilt is punished in Him; we are joined to Him in His resurrection, so that our sin and death cursed lives are restored to life.
The purpose of the Law of Moses, as well as all of the Bible, is to show us our failure so that we seek God’s mercy and help. When we seek, we find. The Bible does not make us better than others, it keeps us honest, humble and serious about trusting in Jesus, boasting in Him and not in our own accomplishments.
From this I get the clear sense that I am not superior to ANYONE. I am what I am by the grace of God [1 Corinthians 15:9-10]. There is no room for moral superiority over people of other faiths or no faith, for people who are supposedly less moral than me. We all stand equally guilty and needy before God, and He freely offers Jesus to all, without partiality. Jew, Gentile, German or Dutch, Native American or African American, Tamil or Sunni or Swahili or Iroquois.
PRAYER:
Lord, keep me humble, honest, and confident in You. By faith alone…
The Jews were given the responsibility to record and to care for God’s revelation. Because some of them did not live up to that responsibility does not nullify the truth of God’s revelation. The sun will still rise and set regardless of whether I get out of bed or not. My lack of initiative or response to the order of God’s revealed revelation does not nullify the truth of it.
The same is now true for us today. What do we do with the fulfilled revelation of the gospel of Jesus Christ? Our society’s lack of faithfulness to respond to the gospel does not nullify the truth of it.
May we stand as light to the true light of the world that has indeed come. May your Holy Spirit shine through our lives Lord, and open the eyes of those living in the deception of this world. May our lives show the truth and not be a witness against the truth.
The people were given the law. The law said Live and do this. Do this and live. Yet we the people fell short of keeping that law all the time. As Moses was the mediator between the people and God – the go between – so Christ Jesus is our Mediator today for no one can keep His law perfectly. It shows how great my sins are. Jesus is the Way. All need to come through that doorway in order to be made holy – a holy people serving Him. He is the answer. His Word shows all nations, all peoples the way to happiness if we but have the eyes to see and the ears to hear. It is by grace alone we have true life. It is by faith alone we can live for Jesus. He is THE answer for all the SonSeekers.
Grace and truth shall mark the way
Where the Lord His own will lead,
If His Word they still obey
And His testimonies heed.
For Thy Name’s sake hear Thou me,
For Thy mercy, Lord, I wait;
Pardon my iniquity,
For my sin is very great.
He who walks in godly fear
In the path of truth shall go;
Peace shall be his portion here,
And his sons all good shall know.
They that fear and love the Lord
Shall His holy friendship know;
He will grace to them accord,
And His faithful covenant show.