Lesson 9: A Humanitarian by Living for Us
Study Guide Pages 67-73
How are you doing at keeping God’s commandments? Especially when you consider how Jesus explained them. Take murder. He taught that hurting somebody by calling them a name was nothing less than murder! “Whosoever shall say, ‘Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.’” He applied the same principle to adultery. “Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.” Or how about his command not to worry. Worry is a sin because it is doing something Jesus told us not to do.
Unkind words, unclean thoughts, worry – these are just the tip of the iceberg. There are many other commandments, like loving our enemies and not being selfish. How are you really doing at keeping God’s commandments?
No matter how hard we try, we can’t come anywhere close to meeting God’s standards. As Scripture says, “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”
The answer is not—“try harder.”
Nobody tried harder than the Apostle Paul. But he confessed:
For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
Romans 7:19
No matter how hard we try, it’s impossible to keep the commandments. Sin has robbed everybody of that capability.
Despite that, you don’t have to despair! Jesus has come to your rescue! He died to pay for your sins. AND he did something else for you; namely, he lived for you. Not once did he break any of God’s commandments. He did this, not for himself, but for you! He didn’t live a perfect life to show you what YOU must DO. He knew you couldn’t do it. Rather, he kept all the commandments FOR you. This is why one of his titles in Scripture is the “Lord, our Righteousness.” He is the Lord, our Perfection. Jesus lived and died for you.
Seeing this can lift a tremendous burden off you. Through Jesus, right now, you are worthy before God. Seeing this can spur you on to doing good, not to be saved, but out of incredible joy for already being saved. Jesus has done everything for you.
Key Bible Verses
Jesus describes the law in all of its severity.
Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
Matthew 5:21-22
Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
Matthew 5:27-28
Once Saul was converted and became the Apostle Paul, the Bible shows a man who appears to be as polished and as perfect as they come. Yet Paul acknowledges the curse of sin in his own heart and mind.
For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
Romans 7:19
The kings of Judah during Jeremiah’s days were corrupt and idolatrous. Jeremiah 23:1 tells us that they were like shepherds who destroyed and scattered their sheep. However, the Lord promises to raise up a Righteous King from David’s line, a king who will rule with God’s own heart and care for his people rather than harming them. And then, in verse 6, we are told the king’s “name”: The Lord Is Our Righteousness.
In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, The Lord Our Righteousness.
Jeremiah 23:6
Questions to Consider
- Why is it impossible to keep all of God’s commandments, no matter how hard we try?
- If God knew we couldn’t keep all of his commandments perfectly, why did he give them to us in the first place?
- In addition to dying for us, Jesus also lived for us. Why is “Jesus living for us” so important to highlight? How does Jesus living for us emphasize the truth that God is the ultimate humanitarian?
- What are the implications of Jesus being “the Lord Our Righteousness?”
- If a believer doesn’t have to do good and follow God’s commandments to gain entrance into heaven, why do they do any good?
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