“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23
October 25, 2022
Imagine the entire human race in an enormous courtroom of the universe. God, the Judge, renders a verdict. The gavel comes down. Every human being is guilty. The penalty cannot be paid. The only currency that is acceptable in heaven is God’s perfect righteousness. There are varying degrees of guilt but all are doomed for an eternity in prison under God’s judgment. Sounds astoundingly bleak doesn’t it? In just nine words in the Greek language we are hit with the reality that there is no difference between the irreligious and the religious when it comes to guilt before God. The word “for” explains the proof. The regular church attender with a massive amount of good deeds, and who is a humanitarian benefit to others, is in the same condition before God as the criminal whose life is consumed with drug addiction and alcohol and has resorted to thievery and lying to support his habit. Is there any difference between these two kinds of people in their sinfulness before a holy God? No, there is not. Everyone, without exception, falls short of the glory of God. God’s perfect character is the standard by which all are judged. As someone has said, “lack of an inch is as fatal as the lack of a foot.” You say, what a downer of a thought to begin one’s day. But we must begin here if the exquisite gift of God’s grace in Jesus Christ is to be rightfully praised. Sin is mainly about God. It is not about our lack of self-worth or any personality disorder. In the great exchange of idolatry, God is belittled and despised. We are being prepared to sing “Amazing Grace.” H
“Sin is contemplating God as the supreme value and rejecting Him as the supreme value.” John Piper