UNIVERSAL SIN AND GUILT
(Romans Bible Study Series Tape Four)
Recommended reading - Romans 3: 9-20.
In this section of scripture, Paul brings the whole
matter of sin to a conclusion. It is important to note that, what Paul is
covering is not just ancient history; it is true of the world which we
live in today. We must clearly learn that, from head to foot there is
nothing good in us. Once this realization occurs we will begin to
understand the Gospel. Salvation is entirely a gift from our Lord Jesus
Christ. All men, Jews and Gentiles, can only plead "Guilty!" The
Law reveals man's sinfulness, but does nothing to cure it. We must confess
that we are morally bankrupt. If there is any hope for man, it must be
found in the mercy of the Almighty loving God. Romans 3:9, Paul
clearly defines in these scriptures that there is universal sin and guilt.
Romans 3:10-18, Paul quotes from the Old Testament scriptures of Psalms,
Ecclesiastes, Proverbs and Isaiah. The quotations from the Old
testament show that no one is righteous or good. Paul concludes that no
man will be justified, and that no human being will ever make it into the
Kingdom of God by His own good works. Every human being, who will be in
God's family, will be there because of Jesus Christ.
I. God will write the Law in the heart, and in the mind of His
people.
· It must be
understood that it is not the same for the believer, and for the
unbeliever.
1.) In the unbeliever, God has put in the conscience
what is right and wrong - the pure knowledge. The most primitive of
societies have a basic knowledge of right and wrong. This is writing
the Law in the conscience.
2.) In the New Covenant God writes the law in the
heart. He is putting the love of God in the heart. This very fact
makes the keeping of the Law possible. God makes it a part of your
nature; so that it becomes part of you. You now want to act and to be
as He is. God puts His unconditional love in your heart and that love
is the fulfillment of the Law.
· Has the Law
properly done its work; or are we in the same place as the Jews were in
these scriptures? Have we become a very proud and self-righteous people
looking down on others?
II. We need to pay attention to Paul's strong proclamation that all
are under sin.
· Under sin
means, to be ruled by, or to be dominated by sin. Paul is stating that
mankind is ruled by sin. Romans 7:14, The Law is spiritual; we
are carnal. We are by nature, slaves to sin. There is none,
no not one, who is righteous.
· Man, by his
nature, is against God. Apart from God there is no salvation.
III. Romans 3:19, The whole world is under the Law.
· There are two
things that we are under:
1.) We are under sin;
2.) We are under the Law.
· We are under
the Law, because we have the knowledge of the Law. All who are under the
law are guilty before God. That is, every single one of us!
· Has the work of
the Law silenced our mouth? The Gospel is not for self-righteous
mankind. It is for those who realize their depravity. We need to
understand, that of ourselves, we cannot produce the smallest amount of
genuine righteousness. This ultimately leads to our silence.
· Those who
cannot be silenced by the Law will never accept the true gospel. The
Gospel will be a stumbling stone.
IV. No man except Christ has kept the Law.
· We are all
guilty of the whole Law. We are all unrighteous and unholy! We must see
this or we will never be able to come to understand the Gospel of Jesus
Christ!
· Neither the
Law, nor works, produce righteousness. Works we do are works of
righteousness, only after we see what we truly are. Once we have
accepted Jesus Christ, He makes the works righteous.
V. Why the Law was given.
· Nowhere do we
find in scripture that God gave the Law as a means of salvation. The Law
is not now, nor has it ever been, a means of salvation.
· God gave the
Law to give us the knowledge of sin. Romans 3:30, clearly
reflects this truth. There is only one way that man is saved. From Adam,
to the last human to exist, it is through the grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ was slain from the foundation of the world.
It is also important to understand that God did not give the Law in
order to maintain salvation. God does not forgive us and then state that
we must, from that point forward, keep the Law perfectly to either earn
salvation or to maintain salvation.
· Sin is a
deceiver. Jeremiah 17:9, "The heart is deceitful." God
has to expose sin so we know what sin is. Romans 7:9, Paul
realized that he was not earning salvation, but the Law was showing him
that he was a sinner.
· The very moment
you cherish a sinful desire is when you have sinned.
VI. God did not give the law to solve the sin problem.
· God gave the
Law so that the realization of sin may abound. Sin is more than an act
in God's eyes.
· God gave the
Law to bring sin out of its' hiding place. Everyone of us camouflage
outwardly the sin inside. The Law opens us to the realization of sin.
· We are under
sin and under the Law! When those two are put together it is fatal.
There is nothing wrong with being under the Law, as long as you have a
sinless nature. There was not a problem with Adam being under the Law
prior to his fall.
VII. Jesus Christ learned obedience by what He suffered.
(Hebrews 5:8)
· Obedience means
someone over you has a will that is contrary to your will. Obedience
means you do not give into your will, rather you obey their will.
· The Logos never
had to obey; it was His very nature to live by the Law of God. Jesus
Christ clearly stated, " Not My will but Your will be done."
When Jesus became a human being He learned obedience.
The Gospel is all inclusive, it affects every human
being. To accept the Gospel, the good news of salvation, we first must
realize that we are totally lost. The Law must do its work in our lives.
The Law is there to remind us that, in and of ourselves, we are 100%
sinners saved by grace. We need to thank God for the Law! The moment we
try do away with the Law, we no longer need a gospel. We need the Law
to show us that we need a savior. We need to allow the Law to lead us
to Christ. Every mouth should be stopped, and all should stand guilty
before God and say, " What shall I do now?".
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Universal Sin and Guilt 