Have
you ever met people who thought they were better than others? Well, we as
Christians know that is a bad attitude to have. No one is better than anyone
else. We are all the same before God. He judges Jews and Gentiles
alike-impartially and righteously-on the basis of their levels of understanding
of his law.
The
Jews had the truth of God’s law. The problem was what they did or did not do
with it. Just because we know God’s will doesn’t mean we have made a decision
or chosen a specific path. For example, the Jews had a treasure trove of truth
because they were God’s chosen people, but they were blind to God’s promises,
especially the ones that were being fulfilled before their eyes. Their
blindness hindered their ability to be spiritual guide to the nations.
The
Jews had a “holier than thou” attitude because they were God’s chosen people.
It’s no wonder that they were hated by the Gentiles, and it’s no wonder that
the Gentiles hated the God of the Jews. It’s also not surprising that the
apostle Paul had a scathing denunciation of the Gentiles. The Jews failed to
“practice what they preached.” They did not practice the law they proclaimed,
so they faced God’s judgment. God exiled the Jews, which only added to the
hatred the Gentiles had.
The
Jews didn’t realize that they needed to become like children so they could learn
what they needed to learn in order to teach people who were spiritually
immature. The law was true, but it was only a symbolic image of knowledge. It
had little or no substance, so it could not be obeyed perfectly.
The
Jews’ profession of the law was not consistent with their practices. This
caused some of the Gentiles to hate God and his word. The same view is held by
many people today. They see Christians, especially ministers, who talk of
living a good Christian life but who do not actually live good Christian lives.
We have examples of preachers who talk of how Christians are to live humble
lives of service but at the same time live lavish lifestyles that are often
financed by donations to their ministries. It is no wonder that some
non-believers have negative attitudes toward Christianity. We as Christians
have to practice what we preach in order to win lost souls for Christ.
This
is one of the clear expectations God has for us. All of these expectations can
be summed up in two words-our conscience. It’s only as good as the knowledge
that programs its voice. In the case of a Christian, that knowledge comes from
God’s Word as written in the Bible. God has programmed his moral code into the
heart of every man and woman. We are born with it. When our actions or thoughts
violate that code, the conscience responds by sending a “no” message to the
brain. On the other hand, when the act or thought goes along with the
preprogrammed moral code, the conscience says, “go.”
In
the same way that some people of privilege abuse it, there are also people who
rise above their lack of privilege. Paul speaks of Gentiles who were never
given the privilege of knowing God’s law but who were so sensitive to what they
knew of God that their consciences were keen, alert and in touch with reality.
A
righteous person is a person who is in right standing with God. A righteous
person has a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as his or her personal
Saviour. A righteous person seeks to obey God and yield to the direction of the
Holy Spirit. Righteousness means a person wants what is right according to the
word of God. He or she wants to see God’s truth and God’s will established on
the earth.
One
of the greatest dangers facing Christians is the temptation to teach God’s word
without applying it to their own lives. This happens for different reasons.
Some Christians teach simply for the gaining of more and more knowledge.
Teaching God’s word to others without personally seeking to please Him may
allow us to appear as spiritual towards others, but in reality our hearts will
become hardened in disobedience. In addition, this kind of teaching can only
result in mere human understanding because God’s word remains powerless in our
lives.
God’s
word is alive in the Bible. If we allow it, it will speak personally to us and
transform our hearts, minds and lives. As his words penetrate our souls, we
will truly become available to God. We will be Kingdom builders…and all because
we allowed God’s word to work in us.
1.
Jeremiah,
David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, NKJV (Brentwood,
TN: Worthy Publishing, 2013)
4.
ESV Study
Bible. Part of Wordsearch 10 Bible software package.
5.
Briscoe, D.S.
& Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s
Commentary Series, Vol. 29: Romans (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.;
1982)
6.
Stanley,
C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life
Principles Bible, NKJV (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 2005)
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