Romans 3:23 “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
When life is smooth on the surface, it is the nature of human beings to fall into complacency and self-congratulation. We think of ourselves more highly than we ought and preoccupy ourselves with trivialities. But this deeply troubling year of 2020 has unmasked us (even as our faces have been hidden behind masks). Mankind is plagued with deep and chronic problems. In short, we are a mess.
Satan hates when human beings become aware of their sinfulness. But, in his malice toward us, he has ready tactics to deploy. One is to focus on sin in just one arena so that we feel righteous and even superior in others where we are just as sinful, just as lost and enslaved. Another, similar, self-deception is to make much of the sins of others in order to deflect from our own. A third method is to make the weight of sin so heavy, so soul-crushing, that we fall into despair and consider ourselves irredeemable. I’ve seen these tactics on full display over the past two weeks. Satan’s aim is to keep us distracted by anything but the truth, namely, that we are fallen creatures, condemned by our sins and utterly unable to save ourselves, yet Jesus Christ has taken it all upon himself, bearing the guilt and shame and punishment we deserve in order to set us free.
Yes, we have all sinned and fall short of the glory, splendor, and perfect ways of God. There is no one righteous, not even one (3:10). But that is not where the message ends. The hopelessness of Romans 3:23 is sandwiched between verses showing the way out of our predicament: Romans 3:22 and 24 “Righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe … all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”
Father, once again I am awestruck by your love for me. Help me and my fellow Christians to reflect that love, showing the world our devotion to one another, honoring one another above ourselves, sharing with those in need, living in harmony with one another, even blessing those who persecute us while never repaying evil for evil. And, as far as it depends on us, let us live in peace with everyone around us.
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This week: There is much to meditate on in the book of Romans. My prayer above draws extensively from Romans 12, for example. If you don’t have time to read through and journal on the entire book of Romans this week, consider reading Romans 3 and 12 to get the fuller context behind this post. There is much evil in the world, but let us “not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Romans 12:21.