HOW YOU CAN KNOW GOD PART 3

WITHOUT A LEG TO STAND ON

Someone may say, "But I live a good life. I try to be kind and considerate to others. I live by the Ten Commandments." But the truth of the matter is that the Ten Commandments, or the law, as they are called in the Bible, were not given to make us good but to show us how bad we are. The Bible tells us, "No one can ever be made right in God's sight by doing what the law commands. For the more we know God's law, the clearer it becomes that we aren't obeying it" (Romans 3:20). The purpose of the law is to make us realize how sinful we are. You might say that God's law was given to "shut our mouths" and show us that we desperately need his help and forgiveness for our terminal condition as sinners.

     Look at the passages below to get a better understanding of the nature and seriousness of sin.

1. We Have All Missed the Mark (see Romans 3:23). Romans 3:23 says, we have all sinned. For those that would claim to be the sole exception to this eternal truth, verse ten of this chapter plainly says, "no one is good--not even one (Romans 3:10). Another word for good is righteous. The word righteous means, "One who is as he or she ought to be." When the Bible says that no one is righteous, or good, it is not so much referring to behavior but to inner character.

     What exactly is "God's glorious standard" that Romans 3:23 says we have failed to meet? God's "glorious standard" is absolute perfection. Jesus said, "But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect" (Matthew 5:48). In other words, anyone who is not as good as God is not acceptable to him.

     One definition of sin, derived from the Greek word hemartia, is to "miss the mark." As far as the mark of perfection goes, we miss it by a mile. Although our sinful nature makes it impossible for us to live up to God's standard, we cannot blame sin on our nature alone. Sin is also a deliberate act.

2. Sin Is a Deliberate Act (see Ephesians 2:1-3). Another word for sins in Ephesians 2:1 is transgressions or trespasses. The word speaks of a lapse or deviation from truth. In contrast to simply "missing the mark," this is a deliberate action. Because sin is a deliberate action, we cannot blame our sin on society or our environment or our mental or physical state. Everyone has chosen to do what is wrong. If we protest this point, "we are only fooling ourselves and refusing to accept the truth" (1 John 1:8).

3. The Ultimate Penalty for Sin Is Death (see Romans 6:23). According to the Bible, we have offended a Holy God. We have not done this once or twice, but so many times that we are unable to keep count. Romans 6:23 says, "The wage of sin is death. . . . " Wages are something that you are paid for work rendered. In other words, you earn your wages. Because we all have repeatedly sinned, we have earned the penalty of death, which is eternal torment and punishment in a place called hell. 

Amid all this talk about sin and death, there is some good news. God has given us a way to escape the penalty of our sin. He has made it possible for us to have a relationship with him and enjoy the hope of eternal life without punishment.