![]() The point of this was to provide an opportunity to promote growth and learning as well as correct any wrongs before they became habits. Not brutally honest, but in an encouraging and helpful manner. In other words, were they catching on quickly? Doing accurate work? Were they getting along with the other employees and following the office rules? I’d tell the supervisors to be honest. I used to do the new employee orientations and one of the things that I would recommend to the new hires was to ask their supervisor after about three months or so how the supervisor felt the new employee was doing. And we’re not quite so ready to give it up most of the time. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.” We’re not so anxious to commit ourselves to God in this manner because each and every one of us has something that we do, think or say that we know is offensive to God. On the contrary, how many of us cling to and include in our prayers the words of David in Psalm 139:23-24“Search me, O God, and know my heart test me and know my anxious thoughts. That’s not something we want to hear over and over again, is it? We don’t like to be reminded of our shortcomings. He’s attempting to show them all (and us) that no one is deserving of God’s goodness and righteousness. I can just picture Paul standing in the midst of these fellow believers making statements that none of them was doing what’s right and no one was doing good, and some of them wanting to say, “But what about me?” Paul is trying to get them to see the filthiness of sin to which they’ve been accustomed. Remember?” Or “I handed out the crayons and gave everyone the color they wanted.” I was your helper and sharpened all of the pencils. I remember wanting to raise my hand and say, “I didn’t do anything wrong. ![]() From time to time the teacher would have reached her limit and deny us all recess for the day. That meant that if one or two kids misbehaved, we could all lose our recess time for the day. We were often reminded that recess time was a privilege and not a right. It’s like having recess time in elementary school. ![]() Can you picture the Jews and Gentiles sitting still and quietly listen while Paul stands over them and says things like, “There is no one doing what is right, not even one.”, “There is no one who does good, not even one.”, “There is no one who is trying to be with God”? I would imagine that several of them would have furrowed brows and a few hands might go up to interject their opposition to these widespread accusations because not everyone would have agreed with what he was saying. I think it’s a good thing that Romans 3:1-20 was written in a letter rather than an actual conversation. The law only shows us our sin.” But also in those first 20 verses of Chapter 3, there was a succession of bad news. Romans 3: 20b “…no one can be made right with God by following the law. Jesus had changed not only the rules of the game, but also changed how the game was played. And now, Jews and non-Jews stood on equal ground with God. Paul discusses the fact that the Jews had been given the law by God many years earlier and while that gave them an advantage, it didn’t save them. In Romans 3:1-20 that we discussed last week, Paul is reiterating the fact that while the Jews had originally been God’s chosen people, He now desires a relationship with all people, Jews and non-Jews. So what’s the good news?” “The windshield wipers still work.” It’s like you get hit with a whammy of bad news and you want good news that equals the bad news, but there’s no comparison between the two. It’s going to cost a couple of thousands.” “Ugh. Which do you want to hear first?” “Let me have the bad news.” “The engine in your car is completely kaput and needs to be replaced. ![]() Have you ever had a conversation like this? “I’ve got good news and bad news. Nobody likes bad news but we all like good news. If someone says to you, “I’ve got good news and I’ve got bad news, which do you want to hear first?” What’s your choice? I always want the bad news first perhaps subconsciously I need to know that the conversation is going to end on a positive note. ![]()
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