The Bible's Most Important Topic
(Part 2)
C. All Fall Short (Romans 3:22&23)
The Infinite Gap
"22 This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God..." (NIV)
The Bible repeatedly emphasizes that we can never earn forgiveness of sins or eternal salvation by doing good things, going to church, giving money, or getting baptized, etc. One of the main reasons this is true is because of the fact that we are completely unrighteous in ourselves. "There is no one righteous [in God's sight], not even one." (Romans 3:10 NIV). In Paul's words, "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Every day each of us fails to measure up to God's requirements. We all fall infinitely short of God's glorious character and His perfect standard as set forth in the Law and the 10 Commandments. When we sin, either intentionally or passively, we demonstrate that we are ungodly and unworthy, and therefore unable to save ourselves. This leaves us in a desperate position of moral and spiritual bankruptcy before God.
Later in Romans, Paul reminds us that "sin entered the world" for the first time when Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden and that through his one act of disobedience, we were all "made sinners" (Romans 5:12-21). This means that we are sinful, not only by our actions and behaviors, but also by nature. Another way of saying this is that sin is in our genes. The dictionary definition of the word “nature” is that which comes naturally, innate, to be born with, a permanent part of a person’s being or character. King David said, “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.” (Psalm 51:5 NIV). Our universal problem is that we are unable to truly change at the core level. “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9 NIV). "The sinful mind is hostile toward God. It does not submit to God's Law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God." (Romans 8:7&8 NIV). Whether we realize it or not, even the so called ‘good things’ we do are tainted by our innate hostility and rebellion against God. As the prophet Isaiah said to the people of Israel “How then can we be saved? All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.” (Isaiah 64:5&6 NIV). The answer to our seemingly hopeless dilemma is found in the next few verses in Roman chapter 3. This answer constitutes the reason that this section is considered to be ‘the greatest and most important’ in all of Scripture.
D. Justified Freely by His Grace (Romans 3:23-25)
What God's Justice Demands, God's Mercy Provides
"23 ...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith." (NIV)
While verse 23 presents the bad news of our utter sinfulness, verse 24 presents the good news! In spite of the fact that we have all sinned and "fall short", all who trust in Jesus Christ alone are "justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." When Christ offered himself on the cross as a sacrifice and substitute for us, He paid the full price (the “redemption”) for our sins. Because he paid it all, we are justified "freely” by His grace. As a result, the moment that we personally put our faith in His Son, God pronounces us 'perfectly righteous' in His sight. "To the person who does not work, but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited to him as righteousness...Blessed is the one whose sins the Lord will never hold against him!" (Romans 4:5-8 NIV). The gift that God offers is given to us entirely by His grace and mercy and only on the basis of what Christ accomplished for us on the cross. It can never be attained by our own effort, merit or devotion. Nor can it be gained by living a moral life, trying to keep the 10 Commandments, or being religious. We can never be made right with God by getting baptized, serving in a church, promising to do better, or giving our heart and life to God, etc. "Not by righteous things that we have done, but by His mercy He saved us..." (Titus 3:5 NIV). "It is the gift of God, not by works so that no one will boast [i.e., so that no one will get the glory except God]." (Ephesians 2:8&9 NIV). What God's justice rightly demanded in His Law, God's mercy graciously provided in His Son. Consider again the amazing implications of these words: "For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God freely and graciously declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty of our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood..." (vs.23&24 NLT).
In verse 25 Paul expands on this great truth by saying that "God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement through the shedding of his blood— to be received by faith". Through the cross, "God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them... God made Him [Christ] who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Corinthians 5:18-21 NIV). Because God held our sins against Christ on the cross, He now credits Christ's perfect righteousness to us on the basis of faith only. "Consider Abraham. He believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness." (Galatians 3:6 NIV). "Because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous. And when God counted him as righteous, it wasn’t just for Abraham’s benefit. It was recorded for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in Him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was handed over to die because of our sins, and He was raised to life to make us right with God." (Romans 4:22-25 NLT). The righteousness that God accredits and ascribes to those who believe in His Son, is the perfect righteousness that only God possesses in Himself. When we place our trust in Jesus Christ, His righteousness is directly attributed and imputed to us without cost. “Christ has once suffered for sins, the Righteous for the unrighteous, to bring us to God. He was put to death in the body [his physical body], but was raised to life by the Spirit." (1 Peter 3:18 NIV).
Verse 25 also shows us that the way that Christ procured forgiveness and perfect righteousness for us was “through the shedding of His blood”. “You [Lord] are worthy...because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.” (Revelation 5:9 NIV). On the cross, Christ , "the Lamb of God”, voluntarily took upon Himself the judgment and damnation that we rightly deserve. He willingly accepted the wrath and condemnation of His Father, as our (your) surrogate and substitute. The pain and loss suffered by the Father, when He punished His dearly loved Son in our place, was immeasurable; while the abandonment and agony experienced by the Son was unspeakable. And yet, the truth remains that Christ was “punished by God, stricken by Him, and afflicted...He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities...” (Isaiah 53:4&5 NIV). Because of His death for you, the instant that you put your faith in Him, you are forever freed from all responsibility for your sins before God. “Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never hold against Him!” (Psalm 32:2 NIV). “In Him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of His grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.” (Ephesians 1:7 NIV). Christ’s blood shed for you, removes all of your guilt and shame. His blood which is “precious” to the Father makes you perfectly clean for ever! “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed...but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.” (1 Peter 1:18 NIV). “He Himself bore our sins in his own body on the cross...” (1 Peter 2:24 NIV). “The punishment that brought us peace [with God] was on Him, and by His wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:6-8 NIV). “All the prophets testify about Him that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name.” (Acts 10:43 NIV). "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved." (Acts 16:31 NIV)
If you have any questions about this article or about your relationship with Jesus Christ, please feel free to contact us. If you have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ alone for forgiveness of sins and eternal life, we would like to know about it, so that we can pray for you. So feel free to contact us.
(Part 2)
C. All Fall Short (Romans 3:22&23)
The Infinite Gap
"22 This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God..." (NIV)
The Bible repeatedly emphasizes that we can never earn forgiveness of sins or eternal salvation by doing good things, going to church, giving money, or getting baptized, etc. One of the main reasons this is true is because of the fact that we are completely unrighteous in ourselves. "There is no one righteous [in God's sight], not even one." (Romans 3:10 NIV). In Paul's words, "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Every day each of us fails to measure up to God's requirements. We all fall infinitely short of God's glorious character and His perfect standard as set forth in the Law and the 10 Commandments. When we sin, either intentionally or passively, we demonstrate that we are ungodly and unworthy, and therefore unable to save ourselves. This leaves us in a desperate position of moral and spiritual bankruptcy before God.
Later in Romans, Paul reminds us that "sin entered the world" for the first time when Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden and that through his one act of disobedience, we were all "made sinners" (Romans 5:12-21). This means that we are sinful, not only by our actions and behaviors, but also by nature. Another way of saying this is that sin is in our genes. The dictionary definition of the word “nature” is that which comes naturally, innate, to be born with, a permanent part of a person’s being or character. King David said, “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.” (Psalm 51:5 NIV). Our universal problem is that we are unable to truly change at the core level. “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9 NIV). "The sinful mind is hostile toward God. It does not submit to God's Law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God." (Romans 8:7&8 NIV). Whether we realize it or not, even the so called ‘good things’ we do are tainted by our innate hostility and rebellion against God. As the prophet Isaiah said to the people of Israel “How then can we be saved? All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.” (Isaiah 64:5&6 NIV). The answer to our seemingly hopeless dilemma is found in the next few verses in Roman chapter 3. This answer constitutes the reason that this section is considered to be ‘the greatest and most important’ in all of Scripture.
D. Justified Freely by His Grace (Romans 3:23-25)
What God's Justice Demands, God's Mercy Provides
"23 ...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith." (NIV)
While verse 23 presents the bad news of our utter sinfulness, verse 24 presents the good news! In spite of the fact that we have all sinned and "fall short", all who trust in Jesus Christ alone are "justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." When Christ offered himself on the cross as a sacrifice and substitute for us, He paid the full price (the “redemption”) for our sins. Because he paid it all, we are justified "freely” by His grace. As a result, the moment that we personally put our faith in His Son, God pronounces us 'perfectly righteous' in His sight. "To the person who does not work, but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited to him as righteousness...Blessed is the one whose sins the Lord will never hold against him!" (Romans 4:5-8 NIV). The gift that God offers is given to us entirely by His grace and mercy and only on the basis of what Christ accomplished for us on the cross. It can never be attained by our own effort, merit or devotion. Nor can it be gained by living a moral life, trying to keep the 10 Commandments, or being religious. We can never be made right with God by getting baptized, serving in a church, promising to do better, or giving our heart and life to God, etc. "Not by righteous things that we have done, but by His mercy He saved us..." (Titus 3:5 NIV). "It is the gift of God, not by works so that no one will boast [i.e., so that no one will get the glory except God]." (Ephesians 2:8&9 NIV). What God's justice rightly demanded in His Law, God's mercy graciously provided in His Son. Consider again the amazing implications of these words: "For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God freely and graciously declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty of our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood..." (vs.23&24 NLT).
In verse 25 Paul expands on this great truth by saying that "God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement through the shedding of his blood— to be received by faith". Through the cross, "God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them... God made Him [Christ] who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Corinthians 5:18-21 NIV). Because God held our sins against Christ on the cross, He now credits Christ's perfect righteousness to us on the basis of faith only. "Consider Abraham. He believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness." (Galatians 3:6 NIV). "Because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous. And when God counted him as righteous, it wasn’t just for Abraham’s benefit. It was recorded for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in Him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was handed over to die because of our sins, and He was raised to life to make us right with God." (Romans 4:22-25 NLT). The righteousness that God accredits and ascribes to those who believe in His Son, is the perfect righteousness that only God possesses in Himself. When we place our trust in Jesus Christ, His righteousness is directly attributed and imputed to us without cost. “Christ has once suffered for sins, the Righteous for the unrighteous, to bring us to God. He was put to death in the body [his physical body], but was raised to life by the Spirit." (1 Peter 3:18 NIV).
Verse 25 also shows us that the way that Christ procured forgiveness and perfect righteousness for us was “through the shedding of His blood”. “You [Lord] are worthy...because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.” (Revelation 5:9 NIV). On the cross, Christ , "the Lamb of God”, voluntarily took upon Himself the judgment and damnation that we rightly deserve. He willingly accepted the wrath and condemnation of His Father, as our (your) surrogate and substitute. The pain and loss suffered by the Father, when He punished His dearly loved Son in our place, was immeasurable; while the abandonment and agony experienced by the Son was unspeakable. And yet, the truth remains that Christ was “punished by God, stricken by Him, and afflicted...He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities...” (Isaiah 53:4&5 NIV). Because of His death for you, the instant that you put your faith in Him, you are forever freed from all responsibility for your sins before God. “Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never hold against Him!” (Psalm 32:2 NIV). “In Him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of His grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.” (Ephesians 1:7 NIV). Christ’s blood shed for you, removes all of your guilt and shame. His blood which is “precious” to the Father makes you perfectly clean for ever! “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed...but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.” (1 Peter 1:18 NIV). “He Himself bore our sins in his own body on the cross...” (1 Peter 2:24 NIV). “The punishment that brought us peace [with God] was on Him, and by His wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:6-8 NIV). “All the prophets testify about Him that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name.” (Acts 10:43 NIV). "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved." (Acts 16:31 NIV)
If you have any questions about this article or about your relationship with Jesus Christ, please feel free to contact us. If you have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ alone for forgiveness of sins and eternal life, we would like to know about it, so that we can pray for you. So feel free to contact us.
