QUESTION: Can anyone keep the law of God perfectly?
ANSWER: Since the fall, no mere human has been able to keep the law of God perfectly, but consistently breaks it in thought, word, and deed.
WARM-UP
Common rhythms of society don’t really encourage taking time out to reflect on the “big questions” of meaning, life, God, and death. Have you made regular times in your weekly schedule to step back and reflect on these types of questions? If so, what are these times like for you?
WORD
BIG IDEA
READ
Romans 3:9-10
ANSWER: Since the fall, no mere human has been able to keep the law of God perfectly, but consistently breaks it in thought, word, and deed.
WARM-UP
Common rhythms of society don’t really encourage taking time out to reflect on the “big questions” of meaning, life, God, and death. Have you made regular times in your weekly schedule to step back and reflect on these types of questions? If so, what are these times like for you?
WORD
BIG IDEA
- We need to take time to reflect on questions of ultimate significance. Perhaps the biggest of these questions is: Where do I stand right now before God?
- To know how we stand before God, we must know the standard of moral perfection God demands.
- Not only has humanity failed to live up to God’s moral law, but we also haven’t lived up to our own standards in our conscience and thus stand guilty before God.
- Having the righteousness of Christ is our only hope for standing before God.
READ
Romans 3:9-10
What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, Jews and Greeks, are under sin, as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one.”
WATCH/LISTEN
OLD SELF
Many of us have learned ways to deflect our own shortcomings by thinking we are better than other people. Sometimes we may believe God does the same with us. What are ways we make ourselves “feel better” in relation to our standing before God?
NEW SELF
When we experience the power of God’s grace it relieves us from the pressure of having to earn God’s acceptance. What other ways does God’s grace unlock the flourishing that God desires for us?
WORLD
This week notice all the ways we try to justify ourselves before others and before God. Take note of how different God’s grace functions compared to trying to measure us to God’s law.
PRAYER
Holy God, left to our own devices, we transgress your law at every turn. We have no defense, but must plead guilty before your throne of judgment. Your law condemns us and cuts through our pretensions to righteousness, convincing us that we desperately need a Savior. Amen.
Many of us have learned ways to deflect our own shortcomings by thinking we are better than other people. Sometimes we may believe God does the same with us. What are ways we make ourselves “feel better” in relation to our standing before God?
NEW SELF
When we experience the power of God’s grace it relieves us from the pressure of having to earn God’s acceptance. What other ways does God’s grace unlock the flourishing that God desires for us?
WORLD
This week notice all the ways we try to justify ourselves before others and before God. Take note of how different God’s grace functions compared to trying to measure us to God’s law.
PRAYER
Holy God, left to our own devices, we transgress your law at every turn. We have no defense, but must plead guilty before your throne of judgment. Your law condemns us and cuts through our pretensions to righteousness, convincing us that we desperately need a Savior. Amen.