LESSON 3   
   *July 10 - 16   
   All Have Sinned   
      
   SABBATH AFTERNOON   
      
   Read for This Week's Study:   
      
      
   Rom.  1:16, 17, 22-32; 2:1-10,  17-23; 3:1,  2, 10-18, 23.   
      
   Memory Text:   
      
      
   "All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Romans  3:23).   
    Unless a person  acknowledges that he or she is unrighteous, that person will   
   sense no need  for justification (God's declaration of a sinner as righteous   
   in His eyes).  Therefore, for Paul, the first step in justification is that a   
   person  recognize himself or herself as a helpless, hopeless sinner. In   
   building this  argument, Paul presents first the terrible depravity of the   
   Gentiles. These  have sunk as low as they have because they have pushed God   
   from their  memories. Paul then shows that the Jews are just as bad, the point   
   being that  none can save themselves with their good works.   
      
   Ellen G. White makes it so clear: "Let no one take the limited, narrow   
   position that any of the works of man can help in the least possible way to    
   liquidate the debt of his transgression. This is a fatal deception. If you    
   would understand it, you must cease haggling over your pet ideas, and with    
   humble hearts survey the atonement.   
      
   "This matter is so dimly comprehended that thousands upon thousands claiming   
   to be sons of God are children of the wicked one, because they will  depend on   
   their own works. God always demanded good works, the law demands  it, but   
   because man placed himself in sin where his good works were  valueless, Jesus'   
   righteousness alone can avail. Christ is able to save to  the uttermost   
   because He ever liveth to make intercession for us."--Ellen G.  White   
   Comments, The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 6, p.  1071.    
   *Study this week's lesson to prepare for Sabbath, July 17.   
      
   SUNDAY   
   July 11   
      
   Not Ashamed of the Gospel   
      
   "I am not ashamed of the gospel: it is the power of God for salvation to every   
   one who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the   
   righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written,   
   'He who through faith is righteous shall live'" (Rom. 1:16, 17, RSV). What do   
   these verses say to you? How have you experienced the promises and hope found   
   in them?   
      
      
      
   Several key words occur in this passage:   
      
   1. Gospel. This word is the translation of a Greek word meaning literally   
   "good message" or "good news." Standing alone, the word may refer to any good   
   message; but modified as it is in this passage by the phrase "of Christ," it   
   means "the good news about the Messiah" (Christ is the transliteration of the   
   Greek word meaning "Messiah"). The good news is that the Messiah has come and   
   men may be saved by believing in Him. In Jesus and in His perfect   
   righteousness--and not in ourselves, or even in God's law--can one find   
   salvation.   
      
   2. Righteousness. This word refers to the quality of being "right" with God. A   
   specialized meaning of this word is developed in the book of Romans, which we   
   shall bring out as our study of the book proceeds. It should be pointed out   
   that in Romans 1:17 the word is qualified by the phrase "of God." It is   
   righteousness that comes from God, a righteousness that God Himself has   
   provided. As we'll see, this is the only righteousness good enough to bring us   
   the promise of eternal life.   
      
   3. Faith. In Greek the words translated believe and faith (KJV) in this   
   passage are the verb and noun forms of the same word: pisteuo (believe),   
   pistis (belief or faith). The meaning of faith as related to salvation will   
   unfold as we progress in the study of Romans.   
   Do you ever struggle with assurance? Do you have times  when you truly   
   question whether or not you are saved, or even if you can be  saved? What   
   brings these fears? What are they grounded on? Might they be grounded in   
   reality? That is, could you be living a lifestyle that denies  your profession   
   of faith? If so, what choices must you make in order to have  the promises and   
   assurances that are for you in Jesus?    
   MONDAY   
   July 12   
      
   The Human Condition   
      
   Read Romans 3:23. Why is this message so easy for us, as Christians, to   
   believe today? At the same time, what could cause some people to question the   
   truthfulness of this text?    
      
      
   Amazingly enough, some folk actually challenge the idea of human sinfulness,   
   arguing that people are basically good. The problem, however, stems from a   
   lack of understanding what true goodness is. People can compare themselves to   
   someone else and feel good about themselves. Even the mobster Al Capone was a   
   saint compared to Adolph Hitler. However, when we contrast ourselves to God,   
   and to the holiness and righteousness of God, none of us would come away with   
   anything other than an overwhelming sense of self-loathing and disgust.   
      
   The verse also talks about "the glory of God." The phrase has been variously   
   interpreted. Perhaps the simplest interpretation is to give the phrase the   
   meaning it has in 1 Corinthians 11:7, "He [man] is the image and glory of God"   
   (RSV). In Greek, the word for "glory" may be considered as loosely equivalent   
   to the word for "image." Sin has marred the image of God in man. Sinful man   
   falls far short of reflecting the image or glory of God.   
      
   Read Romans 3:10-18. Has anything changed today? Which of those depictions   
   best describes you, or what you would be like were it not for Christ in your   
   life?    
      
      
   As bad as we are, our situation is not hopeless. The first step is for us to   
   acknowledge our utter sinfulness and also our helplessness in and of ourselves   
   to do anything about it. It is the work of the Holy Spirit to bring about such   
   conviction. If the sinner does not resist Him, the Spirit will lead the sinner   
   to tear away the mask of self-defense, pretense, and self-justification and to   
   cast himself or herself upon Christ, pleading His mercy: " ' "God, be merciful   
   to me, the sinner!" ' " (Luke 18:13, NASB).   
   When was the last time you took a good hard cold look  at yourself, your   
   motives, your deeds, and your feelings? This can be a very  distressing   
   experience, can't it? What's your only hope?    
   TUESDAY   
   July 13   
      
   From the First to the Twenty-first Century   
      
   At the turn of the twentieth century, folk lived with the idea that humanity   
   was improving, that morality would increase and that science and technology   
   would help usher in a utopia. Human beings, it was believed, were essentially   
   on the path toward perfection; that is, through the right kind of education   
   and moral training, humans greatly could improve themselves and their society.   
   All this was supposed to start happening, en masse, as we entered into the   
   brave new world of the twentieth century.   
      
   Unfortunately, things didn't quite turn out that way, did they? The twentieth   
   century was one of the most violent and barbaric in all history,   
   thanks--ironically enough--in great part to the advances of science, which   
   made it much more possible for people to kill others on a scale that the most   
   depraved madmen of the past could only dream about.   
      
   What was the problem?   
      
   Read Romans 1:22-32. In what ways do we see the things written there, in the   
   first century, being manifested today in the twenty-first century?   
      
      
      
   When humanity lost sight of God, a floodgate of sin and error and degradation   
   opened. We, today, each of us, are living the consequences of that problem. In   
   fact, unless we are moment by moment surrendered to God, we become part of the   
   problem, as well.   
      
   Focus specifically on Romans 1:22, 23. How do we see this principle being   
   manifested now? By rejecting God, what have humans in our century come to   
   worship and idolize instead? And, in so doing, how have they become fools?   
   Bring your answer to class on Sabbath.   
      
      
      
      
   WEDNESDAY   
   July 14   
      
   Jews and Gentiles Together   
      
   In Romans 1, Paul was dealing specifically with the sins of the Gentiles, the   
   pagans, those who had lost sight of God a long time ago and, thus, fell into   
   the most degrading practices.   
      
   But he wasn't going to let his own people, his own countrymen, off the hook   
   either. Despite all the advantages that they had been given (Rom. 3:1, 2),   
   they, too, were sinners, condemned by God's law, and in need of the saving   
   grace of Christ. In that sense, in the sense of being sinners, of having   
   violated God's law, and of needing divine grace for salvation, Jews and   
   Gentiles are the same.   
      
   Read Romans 2:1-3, 17-24. What is Paul warning against here? What message   
   should all of us, Jew or Gentile, take from this warning?    
      
      
   "Do not think yourself better than other men, and set yourself up as their   
   judge. Since you cannot discern motive, you are incapable of judging another.   
   In criticizing him, you are passing sentence upon yourself; for you show that   
   you are a participant with Satan, the accuser of the brethren."--Ellen G.   
   White, The Desire of Ages, p. 314.   
      
   It's often so easy to see the sins of others and to point them out. How often,   
   though, are we guilty of the same kinds of things, or even worse? The problem   
   is that we tend to turn a blind eye on ourselves, or we make ourselves feel   
   better by looking at just how bad others are in contrast to ourselves.   
      
   Paul will have none of that. He warns his countrymen not to be quick to judge   
   the Gentiles, for they, the Jews--even as the chosen people--were sinners, in   
   some cases even more guilty than the pagans they were so quick to condemn   
   because, as Jews, they had been given more light than the Gentiles.   
      
   Paul's point in all this is that none of us are righteous, none of us meet the   
   divine standard, none of us are innately good or inherently holy. Jew or   
   Gentile, male or female, rich or poor, God-fearing or God-rejecting, we all   
   are condemned, and were it not for the grace of God, as revealed in the   
   gospel, there would be no hope for any of us.   
   How big of a hypocrite are you? That is, how often do  you, even if only in   
   your own mind, condemn others for things that you,  yourself, are guilty of?   
   How, by taking heed of what Paul has written here,  can you change?    
   THURSDAY   
   July 15   
      
   Repentance   
      
   A five-year-old boy pushed his little sister down, and the parents made him   
   say he was sorry. He didn't want to, and out of the side of his mouth, with no   
   sincerity and eyes boring into the ground, he barely squeezed out, "Sorry."   
   Hardly true repentance, for sure.   
      
   With that story in mind, read the following: "Despisest thou the riches of his   
   goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of   
   God leadeth thee to repentance?" (Rom. 2:4). What message is here for us?    
      
      
   We should notice that God's goodness leads, not forces, sinners to repentance.   
   God uses no coercion. He is infinitely patient and seeks to draw all men by   
   His love. A forced repentance would destroy the whole purpose of repentance,   
   would it not? If God forced repentance, then would not everyone be saved, for   
   why would He force some and not others to repent?   
      
   What comes to those who resist God's love, refuse to repent, and remain in   
   disobedience? Rom. 2:5-10.    
      
      
   In these verses, and frequently throughout the book of Romans, Paul emphasizes   
   the place of good works. Justification by faith without the deeds of the law   
   must never be construed to mean that good works have no place in the Christian   
   life. For instance, in verse 7, salvation is described as coming to those who   
   seek for it "by patient continuance in well doing." Though human effort can't   
   bring salvation, it is part of the whole experience of salvation. It's hard to   
   see how anyone can read the Bible and come away with the idea that works and   
   deeds don't matter at all. True repentance, the kind that comes willingly from   
   the heart, always will be followed by a determination to overcome and put away   
   the things that we need to repent over.   
   How often are you in an attitude of repentance? Is it  sincere, or do you tend   
   just to brush off your faults, shortcomings, and  sins? If the latter, how can   
   you change? Why must you change?    
   FRIDAY   
   July 16   
      
   Further Study:    
      
   Read Ellen G. White, "The Lord's Vineyard," pp.  291-294, in Christ's Object   
   Lessons; "God's Love for Man," pp. 9-15;  "The Sinner's Need of Christ," pp.   
   17-22,  in Steps to Christ; "In Contact With Others," pp. 492-494, in The   
   Ministry of Healing; "Agents of Satan," pp. 146,  147, in Testimonies for the   
   Church, vol. 5.   
      
   "Many are deceived concerning the condition of their hearts. They do not   
   realize that the natural heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately   
   wicked. They wrap themselves about with their own righteousness, and are   
   satisfied  in reaching their own human standard of character; but how fatally   
   they fail  when they do not reach the divine standard, and of themselves they   
   cannot  meet the requirements of God."--Ellen G. White, Selected Messages,   
   book 1, p. 320.   
      
   "A terrible picture of the condition of the world has been presented before   
   me. Immorality abounds everywhere. Licentiousness is the special sin  of this   
   age. Never did vice lift its deformed head with such boldness as now.  The   
   people seem to be benumbed, and the lovers of virtue and true goodness  are   
   nearly discouraged by its boldness, strength, and prevalence. The  iniquity   
   which abounds is not merely confined to the unbeliever and the scoffer.  Would   
   that this were the case, but it is not. Many men and women who profess  the   
   religion of Christ are guilty. Even some who profess to be looking for  His   
   appearing are no more prepared for that event than Satan himself. They are not   
   cleansing themselves from all pollution. They have so long served  their lust   
   that it is natural for their thoughts to be impure and their  imaginations   
   corrupt."--Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church,  vol. 2, p. 346.    
   Discussion Questions:   
      
     In class, go  over your answers to Tuesday's question. How do we see this   
   principle  manifested in today's society?    
     Look  at the second quote from Ellen G. White in Friday's study. If you see    
   yourself in there, what is the answer? Why is it important not to give up in    
   despair but to keep claiming God's promises--first, of forgiveness; second,   
   of  cleansing? Who is the one that wants you to say, once and for all, "It's   
   no  use. I'm too corrupt. I can never be saved, so I might as well give up"?   
   Do  you listen to him or to Jesus, who will say to us, "Neither do I condemn    
   thee: go, and sin no more"? John  8:11.    
     Why  is it so important for us as Christians to understand basic human   
   sinfulness  and depravity? What can happen when we lose sight of that sad but   
   true  reality? What errors can a false understanding of our true condition   
   lead us  into?    
      
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