THEY WERE ALL THE SAME

 

                                                                                      Pastor Rick Jackson

 

Romans 3:22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:

Romans 10:12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.

 

21 years ago, almost 3000 people died in the attacks of 9-11-01. That number is over 3000 if you add in the related deaths due to the aftermath of those horrific events. Millions were affected by these deaths.

Last week, Queen Elizabeth II peacefully passed away at the age of 96 with her two oldest children at her bedside. It is safe to say that millions of people were also affected by this one older woman’s passing.

Commoners and a queen. Famous, infamous and anonymous. Heroes, legends and laypeople. Some known by name, others by their plight, and still others by their sin. And yet, in some very real ways, they were all the same.

 

I. THEY WERE ALL SINNERS

 

1. They Were All Sinners by Birth [Psalm 58:3,  Romans 5:12]

-The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.

-Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

 

2. They Were All Sinners by Nature [Psalm 51:5, Jam. 1:13-15]

Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.

Let no man say when he is tempted , I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

 

3. They Were All Sinners by Choice [Ps. 14:2-3, Ecclesiastes 7:20, Romans 3:23]

-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 all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

-For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.

-For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

II. THEY ALL DIED - except for a select few- all must die [Ecclesiastes]

 

1. Wisdom Can’t Stop Death [Eccl. 2:14-16] The wise man's eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all. Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also is vanity. For there is no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how dieth the wise man? as the fool.

 

2. Works Can’t Stop Death [Eccl. 2:17-20] Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit. Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me. And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity. Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour which I took under the sun.

 

3. Personal Abilities Can’t Stop Death [Eccl. 9:11-12] I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all. For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.

 

III. THEY ALL COULD HAVE SALVATION

 

1. Salvation is Needed by All [Rm. 6:23]

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

2. Salvation is Available for All [Rom. 5:6, 8]

-For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

-But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

 

3. Salvation is Acceptable for All [Rm. 10:9-13]

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.