ALL ARE GUILTY
In this lesson we will take a look and see what Paul has to say about the guilt of
the Jews and Gentiles.
What we all have to remember is that all are guilty.
We have all fallen short of the Kingdom of God.
Pointing our fingers at someone else is not going to get it.
You are just as guilty as the one you are pointing at.
Romans 2:17 says; Indeed you are called a Jew, and rest on the law, and make
your boast in God.
Paul is speaking to the Jewish people.
When he speaks of them resting on the law it acknowledges that they should
know the law because they are Gods chosen people.
Then Paul says to them make your boast in God, meaning that all they do should
glorify the Lord.
John 8:33 syas; They answered Him, "we are Abrahams descendants, and have
never been in bondage to anyone. How can you say, "You will be made free?"
The Pharisees had been giving Jesus a hard way to go.
They would ask questions that might trap Jesus and prove Him to be a false wit-
ness.
They saud they were Abrahams descentants and had never been in bondage, but
Jesus knew they were remembering their forfathers had been in bondage in
Egypt.
What they were doing was talking about the laws but they were only hearers of
the word, (laws), not doers of the word, (law).
Therefore they were in bondage and didn't even realize it.
They would have been truly free of their sins if they had just believed and listened
to what Jesus had been telling them.
Micah 3:11 says; Her heads judge for a bribe, Her priests teach for pay, And
her prophets divine for money. Yet they lean on the Lord, and say, "Is not the
Lord among us? No harm can come upon us."
The leades of Jerusalem were all corupt.
They took bribes for justice which isn't justice at all.
The teachers taught what they were paid to teach which wasn't the truth they
were teaching.
The prophets only gave a divine word if there was a pay for it.
Since Jerusalem was the holy city with the Temple of God, the people thought
God would always be there with them.
They thought they would never have to answer for their wicked ways.
Isaiah 48:1-2 says; 1. "Here this , O house of Jacob, who are called by the name
of Israel, And have come forth from the well-springs of Juidah; Who swear by
the name of the Lord, And make mention of the God of Israel, But not in
truth or in righteousness; 2. For they call themselves after the holy city, And
lean on the God of Israel; The Lord of hosts is His name:
Isaiah was crying out to the Israelites to turn back o God.
They were hearers of the law but not doers of the law.
Because they knew they were chosen people they thought they wouldn't have to
answer for their wicked ways.
They didn't live by the laws.
Isaiah was broken hearted because they had turned away from God again.
Isaiah knew God was angry with them and he didn't want God to pour out His
wrath on them as He did on Sodom and Gamorrah.
The people were deaf to the things of God.
Isaiah knew he had to lead them back to God.
The holy city is Jerusalem.
The United States has been blessed much the same way, and look how the
people of the US has turned away from God.
We, Christians, all need to pray for the people to turn back to God and away from
our wicked ways of the world.
Roman 2:18 says; and know His will, and approve the things that are excellent,
being instrucked out of the law,
Paul is simply telling them to turn back to God and know what His will is for
their lives.
To do the things that are good in Gods eyes.
That the people follow the law.
Deutoronomy 4:8 says; And what great nation is there that has such statutes
and righteous judgements as are in all this law which I set before you this
day?
This verse was saying that the people of Israel had to live by the laws.
If they did as they should and were obediant to God, blessings would fall on them
and others would see what the one true God was like and turn to Him.
The Israelites were obligated to do Gods biding living so near to Him.
That was how the covenant was revealed with them.
Those looking on could and would surely see how great our God is.
The same goes for us in this day and age.
We must be an example to those watching us.
Show them what a great and loving God we have.
Show them there is no other God.
Other gods are an illusion.
Someones imagenation running wild.
They won't find any answered prayers from false gods.
Philippians 1:10 says; That you may approve the things that are excellent that
you may be sincere, and without offence till the day of Christ.
Paul is talking about Christians doing the things that are excellent in the Lords
eyes.
To do them with sincerity, (from your heart), so no one can call you a hypocrit.
To love others and have compassion for those who are hurting.
When Paul talks about without offense, he means to not lead any one into sin.
To live an upright life so as not to cause someone to stumble and fall into sin.
The day of Christ is when we will face Jesus on judgement day.
The day we will be held accountanle for how we lived our lives on earth.
Romans 2:19 says; and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind,
a light to those who are in the darkness,
The Jewish people were confident but also much more than that.
They thought they were superior to all the other people.
They thought they were the only ones that could lead the people from the dark-
ness into the light.
The thing is that Christians should not ever consider themselves better than any
one.
The only difference between the ones in the light we found grace before the ones
living in the darkness.
The only way we can help is open ourselves to the Lord and let HIm work through
us.
Matthew 15:14 says; Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if
the blind leads the blind, both will fall into the ditch.
Jesus is saying here that those who know the law but don't live by the law are
just as blind as those who don't know the law.
When we are disobediant in the law we can only push people away rather than
draw them into the light.
If we are not in Gods will we are also blind.
If we are not walking the walk that we are talking, they will call us hypocrites, and
we surely are if we aren't walking in the light.
We will also cause other Christians to fall if we aren't careful.
My friends, I don't know about you, but I do not want to cause anyone to fall be-
cause I am disobediant to the laws of God.
There are more laws than the ten commandments.
God gives us dos and don'ts all through the Bible.
Get into the Word of God and see for yourselves what God expects from us.
Romans 2:20 says; an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, having the
form of knowledge and truth in the law
This scripture also reveals that the Jewish people felt that they were superior to
others.
Therefore their teachings were foolishness.
They were disobediant to the laws of God.
They thought themselves full of knowledge and truth of the law.
The thing is if Christians think that they can look down on those who don't know
the Lord, are foolish indeed.
That kind of an attitude will not draw others into the light.
Those with that mind set are lacking love, and compassion for their fellow man.
That is not the way God intended it to be.
You are not glorifying the Lord either.
Christians must be humble not all puffed up and full of pride.
There is not one better than another.
We will be held accountable for the way we treat our fellow man.
2 Timothy 3:5 says; having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from
such people will turn away !
When Timothy speaks of a form of godliness, he speaks of those who show an
outward showing.
But it doesn't come from ones heart which is where Jesus resides.
The denying of power just shows religious rituals.
There is no personal relationship with Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.
Religion makes God angry.
Religion is just full of mans laws not Gods.
There is no religion, it is all about Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.
Timothy is warning the people who fall into religion and telling them to begin their
relationship with Jesus Christ.
If someone is into religion do not follow them, follow Jesus !
Romans 2:21 says; You therefore who teach another, do not teach yourself?
You who preach that a man should not steal, do you steal?
Paul is talking to the leaders and preachers.
Paull asks do teachers teach themselves?
The answer is no of course.
Adam and Eve were taught by God.
Then they had to pass it down from one person to another.
As I write these lessons God is teaching me.
Giving me revelation on each verse and it is awesome learning from God.
I pray you are learning from these lessons and passing them on to someone else.
Then Paul asked the preachers do you preach that we should not steal ?
Then Paul asked if they stole things.
I am sure they were appaled to be asked that question.
In the churches of this day and age look at the number of pastors that have taken
funds from the church.
What about the number of children that have been molested by the pastors or
priests.
When you are in a leadership position you must make sure that you live by Gods
laws.
That God is glorified in everything that you do.
What you preach or teach you must live your life that way.
Take no glory for yourself give it to God.
Matthew 23:3 says; Therefore what ever they tell you to observe, that observe
and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do.
Jesus was telling the people that when they are being taught the law by the lead-
ers, observe the laws, and live by the law.
But do not follow in their ways.
They might speak the truth but they don't live by the truth.
They live by the flesh and what the flesh wants to do.
If we follow in their ways we are turning away from God.
Romans 2:22 says; You who say, "Do not commit adultery," do you commit
adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?
Abhor means: To reguard with extreme repugnance. To turn away from in dis-
like.
Paul is telling those who teach the law not to be disobediant against the laws.
When the Israelites came against other nations that worshiped idols they would
go into the temples and take the things that were made of gold and silver.
The Israelites should not have taken any of the idols out of their temples.
They should have adhor the idea of having any of the idols in their possesions.
The Israelites were being disobediant.
Malachi 3:8 says; Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say,
"In what way have we robbed You? In tithes and offerings.
God has riches beyond anything we can imagine.
He doesn't need anything that we might give.
But Gods word says that we should give ten percent of our income before taxes
or anything has been taken out.
It is to be used for the poor, widows, and orphans.
Those who are in need.
With the ten percent you are serving God and showing faith and trust in the Lord,
that He will supply all of our needs.
Malichi 3:18 says; Then you shall again discern. Between the righteous and the
wicked, Between one who serves God, And one who does not serve Him.
All Christians should pray for discernment.
In this verse it shows how important it is.
We will alll have to discern between good and evil in the end of days.
You will not be deceived if you can discern between the righteous man and the
evil man.
Pay close attention to the fruits that someone produces.
Do they glorify God or dishonor Him?
Romans 2:23 says; You who make your boast in the law, do you dishonor God
through breaking the law?
Paul was getting onto this group of Jews.
They taught Gods laws to those who did not know the Lord.
Then they turned around and broke the laws.
This caused much confussion among the new believers.
It also did not glorify God which should have been the goal.
Romans 9:4 says; who are Israelites, to who pertain the adoption, the glory, the
covenant, the giving of the law; the service of God, and the promises;
Paul was pointing out that the Israelites were a priveledged people.
God had made a covanant with them.
He had also given them the law.
God made many promises that the Israelites received.
Even the Israelites in their disobediance God would not answer the prayers.
But God will never give up on the Israelites, He will continue to get them to come
back to the law and to God.
The one thing to remember is God will judge all the people, Israelites, Gentiles,
or Greeks the same by the same laws.
Romans 2:24 says; For "the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles be-
cause of you," as it is written.
Paul tells this particular group of Jews that they have been trying to lead the blind
but they were blind themselves.
They taught the law but were not living by the law.
In doing things this way they were blaspheming God.
So then the Gentiles heard the law but followed the way the Jews were living.
Therefore the Gentiles were blaspheming God also.
Ezekiel 16:27 says; Behold, therefore, I stretched out My hand against you,
diminished your allotment, and gave you up to the will of those who hate you,
the daughters of the Philistines, who were ashamed of your lewd behavior.
Jerusalems king turned to other kings for protection.
The Israelites once again had turned away form God.
They looked to man for protection.
The other kings brought their false gods into Jerusalem.
The Israelites got caught up with the false gods.
God turned away for a season.
He waited for the Israelites to realize the mistake they had made.
After all God had done for them they turned away once again.
But guess what we are doing the same thing in the United States.
God has watched over us, protected us, supplied all of our needs, and our country
prospered.
What are we doing now?
God has lifted the protection for this country too.
So God is angry with us, can we blame Him?
We only have to look in the mirror to the ones to blame for what is going on today
in the United States.
If my son, growing up, broke every rule I set and continued to be disobediant I
would have been angry too.
Even Christians that know Gods laws are involved in the wicked ways of the en-
emy, Satan.
We look to the world, mankind, for help.
When are we going to wake up and walk, better yet run, from our sinful ways and
turn back to God.
Ezekeil 36:22 says; Therefore say to the house of Israel, "Thus says the Lord
God: "I do not do this for your sake O house of Israel, but for My holy name's
sake, which you have prophaned among the nations wherever you went.
The Israelites had caused many nations to prophane God's name by the way they
acted.
The other nations would point to the Israelites and say, "They say they have a
have a great God, and look how they are acting."
But God would wash them clean of all the sin and wickedness they had done.
But He did it to show the other nations what a good and loving God He is.
God did it to redem His own name.
Isaiah 52:5 says; Now therefore what have I here says the Lord, "That My people
are taken away for nothing? Those who rule over them, Make them wail, "
says the Lord, And My name is blasphemed continually every day.
In this verse it is about Babylon, and how they treated the Israelites.
How they made Gods children wail in pain.
But God would be there for them and they would be delivered.
Those who hurt Gods children would be punished.
The scriptures I used in this lesson, that the Lord gave me, are: Romans 2:17-24,
9:4, John 8:33, Micah 3:8, 3:18, Ezekiel 16:27, 36:22, Isaiah
48:1-2, 52:5,
Deutoronomy 4:8, Philippians 1:10, 2 Timothy 3:5, Matthew 15:14, 23:3,
15:3-9.
My prayer is that all those who read this lesson, that the Lord gave me, will have
a better understanding of our God. There is only one God all others are false
gods. That you will read all of the scriptures and then some. That these les-
sons will increase your desire to read more of Gods Word. And that you will
not be deceived because you will have the word in you.
God bless you and your family, may the Lord keep you close to Him.
PRAISE GOD OUR FATHER, JESUS OUR SAVIOR, AND THE HOLY SPIRIT
THAT LIVES WITHIN ALL CHRISTIANS.
