Lesson 382 - Junior

Memory Verse

"Whoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed" (Romans 9:33).

Notes

To Be Good

One of the first things a child learns is that he should be good. A baby soon learns what is meant when mother shakes her head and says, "No, no." Before a child goes to school, many times he has heard these words: "Be a good boy" or "Be a good girl." A child learns in school that he should be good in order to have the approval of the teacher and the other children. Some children try very heard to do what is required of them because they want to be liked, and they want to please others. Other children want their own way, and say that they will not be good. Often in a child's life there is a constant struggle between doing what is right and what is wrong.

Sin in the Heart

When the child was born there was a seed of sin in his heart because of the first sin that was committed in the Garden of Eden. Satan tempted the first man and woman to disobey God. Because they yielded to the temptation, sin came into their heart and has been passed on to every succeeding generation. As the child grows, so does the seed. In time, what was just a seed will become as roots of sin, trees of sin, and fruits of sin. This does not happen to just some people but to every person. "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." The sins may be small. They may be hidden so that man cannot see them, but God does. So long as sin is in the heart, a person cannot please God.

God's Love

The Lord loves everyone. He has a plan so that each one can have his sins forgiven. When sin is gone, the love of God helps one to be good.

God made coats of animal skins and clothed Adam and Eve. Blood was shed when the animals were slain to provide cover for Adam and Eve, the first sinners.

Offerings to God

From that time on, men felt their need for God. Abel, a son of Adam and Eve, brought an offering to God, which was accepted [GEN:4:4]). Noah, the man who built the Ark and was spared in the flood, built an altar to God [GEN:8:20]). Abraham, father of the faithful, and Jacob, whose sons became the heads of the 12 tribes of the Children of Israel, built altars unto the Lord [GEN:12:7]; [GEN:35:3]).

The Law

On Mount Sinai, God gave the Law to Moses for the Children of Israel. A part of the Law is known as the Ten Commandments [EXO:20:3-17]). The Law told them what was right and what was wrong. When the Children of Israel sinned, they brought offerings to God, according to the Law, and God forgave their sins. Many people obeyed the Law and lived a life pleasing to God.

As time went on, some of the people were careless about offering sacrifices to God. Then there were others who changed the Law. There were times when the Children of Israel were captives and could not worship in the Temple as God had directed. There were times when there was no Temple, which was their church, for, it had been destroyed by enemies. But the Law and the sacrifices pointed to Jesus, who was to come, One who can change the heart so a person can be good.

Jesus

In due time, Jesus came to live on earth. His name was called "JESUS" because He was to save the people from their sins [MAT:1:21]). He began to preach and to teach. He did not destroy the Law and the teachings of the prophets but He came to fulfil them [MAT:5:17]). After Jesus came, it was not enough to keep the Law. Jesus brought a better way " a better covenant with better promises [HEB:8:6]), better sacrifices [HEB:9:23]), and a better hope [HEB:7:19]).

Man looks on the outward appearance but God looks on the heart [1SM:16:7]). The Psalmist tells that God looks at the heart, and tells who will qualify for Heaven: "He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart" [PS:15:2]). It is not enough to have "clean hands" but one must also have a "pure heart" [PS:24:3-4]).

The Jews were the people of God. It was not enough to be a Jew outwardly but he is a Jew who is one inwardly -- in the heart and in the spirit -- not just obeying the letter of the Law [ROM:2:28-29]). The rich young ruler asked Jesus what he should do to have eternal life. He had kept the commandments but he felt that he needed to do more than that. Jesus said that he lacked one thing. The rich young ruler loved his wealth more than God, and he went away sorrowful [LUK:18:23]).

Because He was the Son of God, Jesus lived without sin. Jesus was an example to us. It is His plan and desire that we should live a good life, a life without sin. God wants His people to be holy

[1PE:1:16]). Not only did Jesus live to be our example, but He also died for us. He gave His life and shed his Blood to redeem us. He was our Lamb offering (See Lesson 367). He died once for all, "the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God" [1PE:3:18]).

None Righteous

Many people have tried to live good lives but unless they have Jesus in their heart they cannot live pleasing to God. In the Bible, we read that "there is none righteous, no not one." That means that a person, as he is, in his own goodness and without the righteousness of Christ, is not righteous. No one is righteous before he is saved. To be righteous is to be free from wrong, free from guilt, and free from sin. Only the Blood of Jesus can take away those things, which are displeasing to God. "There is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" [ACT:4:12]).

The Wrong Master

There are some people who do not try to be good. Satan is their master and they do what he tells them to do. They know that they are doing wrong. They have a guilty conscience. Many times they are ashamed. They need to change masters. They need to repent of their sins and ask Jesus to come in to live in their hearts. If they believe the Bible and obey Jesus, He will forgive all that is wrong and will help them to live right.

Filthy Rags

Even though a person tries to live right without Jesus, he can only fail. The Prophet Isaiah said, "All our righteousness are as filthy rags" [ISA:64:6]), which is not a very pleasant sight.

Jesus spoke about people who trusted in themselves and their own righteousness. He told of two men who went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee (a religious man) who prayed with himself and recounted all his good deeds. The other man, a publican, admitted that he was a sinner and asked for mercy. He humbled himself before God and knew that he needed more than his own righteousness. "This man went down to his house justified rather than the other" [LUK:18:14]).

Isaiah also said, "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way" [ISA:53:6]). Just to want one's own way is refusing God's way. To fail to trust God and to depend upon Him makes one guilty before God. A man can live the way he thinks is good but that will not put his name in the Book of Life. The Apostle Paul, before his conversion, lived a very strict life. He was sincere and thought that he was doing good. One day a great light shone upon him and God spoke out of Heaven to him that he was persecuting the Lord. Paul was willing to do what God wanted him to do. He put aside his way and his ideas; and he prayed [ACT:9:11]). A change came into his heart and life. From that time on, Paul lived a different kind of life " he was obedient to God.

A Stony Heart

God wants our heart yielded to Him. Then our deeds will be good and acceptable to Him. The Prophet Ezekiel described an unsaved person as having a "stony heart" [EZE:11:19]). God wants to change that to a heart of flesh. The Lord said, "I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the LORD" [JER:24:7]).

A Changed Heart

If you are not saved, ask God to forgive your sins and change your heart. Obey God, believe His promises, and have faith in Jesus. We can become righteous and live righteously each day only as we have faith in Jesus. Read the Bible and pray each day before going to school, to work, or to play. Jesus is all we need. To us, Jesus is "wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption" [1CO:1:30]).

Questions

1. What does it mean to be righteous?

2. How can a person live righteously?

3. Why should one live righteously?

4. Who is our righteousness?

5. How does a person's own righteousness appear to God?

6. Who can change the heart?

7. In order to go to Heaven what kind of heart must one have?

8. In order to go to Heaven what kind of hands must one have?

9. How can a person be saved?

10. What can we do each day to keep the victory?