Title: Looking to Self/Romans 1:17
Content: Looking at oneself/Romans 1:17
What do you know most about this society? It's about how much you earn, what university you're from, and how high your status is. But even more respected than that is for making great sacrifices for others, or for donating a substantial portion of one's fortune to a university or charitable organization. A janitor is secretly helping boy and girl heads of household for 10 years, or a grandmother who has been working in a restaurant without a husband all her life donates 100 million won, which is her entire fortune, to a university. People who do these things are published in newspapers and praised by people. It is a beautiful thing and it is something to be admired. But the question is, can such good works be praised before God just as they are in the world?
What will God think? You don't praise. Why don't you praise me? This is because people's righteousness (righteousness), no matter how noble and noble, cannot solve the problem of their own sins. Even if a person makes too great a sacrifice and loves too much, his sin remains in the sight of God. In other words, man cannot be made righteous by any of his own efforts or works. Let me give you one example. Some teenagers approach their parents and talk recklessly. So the parents are very upset. But when the young man studied well and showed his parents a good report card, would the parents be happy? Parents who value grades the most will be relieved. However, a normal parent would want their child to apologize and ask for forgiveness more than good grades. What God wants people to do is to restore a right relationship with God first, not for people to make great achievements and do many amazing good deeds. It is to solve the problem of sin that stands in the way between God and man.
Then, how can we solve the problem of sin that separates us from God? one
There is only way. There is only one way God has given us. There is only one way in the Gospel.
In Romans 1:17, it says, "The righteousness of God has been revealed in the gospel." Here, 'God's righteousness' is not 'God's justice'. If God's justice is revealed in the gospel, no one can be saved through the gospel. Judgment is based on the law, but no one can pass it. If God judges with justice and according to the law, all people will inevitably go to hell. But how did we receive forgiveness of sins and become children of God? Because there was a huge corruption (?). Because the blood of Jesus was shed instead, we could go to hell and be saved without going to hell. When we are saved, there is no room for our pride.
The 'righteousness of God' here refers to 'active righteousness'. If you apply 'active righteousness' to something, it means that you are active in saving those who fall into sin. It is the 'righteousness' that rescues people who are enslaved to the power of sin and makes them free. Just as it is to save the people of Israel who were slaves to Pharaoh of Egypt, it is the 'righteousness' that does not give up until the end and actively saves. The righteousness of God revealed in the gospel is very active righteousness. It is an active righteous person who saves those who have fallen into sin by any means. God takes out the person he is trying to save even if he is locked in a dark underground bar, so that he can lead a righteous life of faith. I don't even go to church to do what I want to do, but my heart continues to suffer. If you do bad things with your friends, stay up all night in a PC room, and see lewd things, your heart is not happy and there are constant conflicts. God's righteousness ultimately makes that person a righteous Christian.
Man cannot overcome the power of sin. You cannot overcome the temptations and impulses of sin. So, those who live without God continue to live according to the impulses of sin. So what can overcome this sinful impulse? Only the righteousness of God revealed in the Gospel can overcome. 'Am I not under the control of what kind of power of sin?' 'I don't want to, but what sinful impulse am I not acting on?' 'Do you have a habit of sin that you have not given up on?' Hold onto the righteousness of God in the gospel. Possess the righteousness of God. Then the righteousness of God will set us free from the power of sin.
People are very interested in themselves. Adolescents spend a lot of time looking in the mirror. Girls don't even think about getting out of the bathroom. Your appearance is what matters. Your school grades are important. He is very interested in how much his friends like him. If you do not contact anyone for a day even after beeping or calling on your phone, you become depressed. You think you are worthless and forgotten by your friends. As such, most people spend a lot of time thinking about themselves.
How does thinking long about yourself affect your faith? It can appear in two ways. Some people can indulge in self-pride and narcissism because of what they are good at or better than others. Others can become frustrated because they have nothing to do or offer. This excessive self-interest is the opposite of belief.
Dear all! Let's not look at ourselves as we live our faith. Let's not look at our good looks, studying well, singing well, or being an executive in the church's secondary school. Because this can be my pride. Rather than holding on to the righteousness of God, hold on to my well-born
Because you can live. Conversely, there are people who are not good at anything when they look at themselves. I feel like my friends hate me too, so I feel so miserable. Now, please stop looking at yourself and look at the righteousness of God in the gospel.
My dear brothers and sisters, I still have a bad heart to sin within me, and I can often succumb to the temptations of sin. When I look at myself, I feel so desperate. But every time it happens, Satan says in our hearts, 'You are not a Christian. Don't feel guilty anymore and do whatever you want.' Beloved, you must not look at the things you have failed and fallen. That's not humble. We have to look only at Greece and see only what Christ did for our weaknesses and sins on the cross. Verse 17 says, ?쏤aith leads to faith, but the righteous live by faith.??The life of faith is not about how well I am doing, it is about looking at Christ to the end despite our own failures and falls.
Pastor Namhee Won