MEMORY VERSE: ‘The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are altogether become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.’ Psalm 14:2-3.
STUDY HELP: Selected Messages, book 1, page 320.
LESSON AIM: To study God’s view of the whole of the human race.
‘We may measure ourselves by ourselves, we may compare ourselves among ourselves, we may say we do as well as this one or that one, but the question to which the judgement will call for an answer is, Do we meet the claims of high heaven? Do we reach the divine standard? Are our hearts in harmony with the God of heaven? The human family have all transgressed the law of God, and as transgressors of the law, man is hopelessly ruined; for he is the enemy of God, without strength to do any good thing.’ Selected Messages, book 1, page 321.
1. How does God’s Word view the entire human race? Romans 3:10:12.
NOTE: ‘Everybody in the world is ungodly. “Ungodly” means “unlike God.” And it is written, “All have sinned and come short of the glory [the goodness, the character] of God.” Anybody, therefore, who will admit that he ever came short of being like God in anything, in that confesses that he is ungodly. But the truth is that everybody, in everything, has come short of being like God. For “they are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” Romans 3:9-18.’ A. T. Jones: Review & Herald, February 7, 1899.
2. How does Paul picture those sinners who are without Christ in the world? Ephesians 2:12.
NOTE: ‘If you would secure the grand aim and purpose of life without mistake in your choice or fear of failure, you must make God first and last and best in every plan and work and thought. If you want a path that leads straight into darkness, you have only to cast the light of God behind you, live without God. When God points out your path and says, “This is your way of safety and peace,” You have only to set your face in an opposite direction from the way of the Lord and your feet will take hold on perdition. The voice of the Lamb of God is heard speaking to us, “Follow Me, and ye shall not walk in darkness.”’ Selected Messages, book 2, page 167.
‘It is a solemn statement that I make to the church, that not one in twenty whose names are registered upon the church books are prepared to close their earthly history, and would be as verily without God and without hope in the world as the common sinner.’ Christian Service, page 41.