All
Have Sinned
"For all have sinned,
and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).
In some ways this verse
should be one of the most popular verses in the Bible. It explains so much of
what goes on in the world. It gets at the root of so many of the world's ills.
It explains why so much of
our tax dollar goes to the judicial system, law enforcement and prison costs.
It explains why your automobile needs an intricate lock system to secure the
doors and steering wheel. It explains why you have such a difficult time trying
to cash a check.
It explains why crime,
immorality and injustice are on a rampage. The problem is the fact of sin. The
answer of course, is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
The context of this verse is
all-important. Verse 22 informs us that there is no distinction between men.
Both Jews and Gentiles are in the same boat since everyone has sinned and has
fallen short of the standard of God's righteousness. As a result, today's
complex world faces what seems to most people to be insurmountable problems of
war, crime, racial strife, and violence of all kinds.
As you might expect, Jesus
looked at the problem and went directly to the heart of the matter. He said,
"For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts,
adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit,
lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil
things come from within, and defile the man" (Mark 7:21‑23).
Man's problem is within. All
the man‑made solutions in the world deal with the symptoms, and not with
the cause; and that is sin in the heart. Man‑made solutions fall short,
just as the arrow falls short of the target, as the pole-vaulter fails to clear
the bar, and as the golfer leaves his putt short of the hole.
By our sin we have come
short of the glory of God. In our sin we do not glorify Him, but dishonor His
name. We may strut and glorify ourselves before men who look on the outward
appearance and who are as corrupt as we are, but there will come a day when all
our strutting, pride, and arrogance will cease. By our sin we will come short
of the standard of acceptance in the sight of God.
Is there no hope? Must
guilty man remain eternally under the wrath of God? Is the disease incurable?
No, bless God, it is not.
God is eager to bestow on us
His very own righteousness as we place our faith in Jesus Christ. We can be
justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
Notice the word
"freely." True, it is free to us, but only because Jesus Christ
bought and paid for it at the tremendous cost of His own life. He died for our
sins. And today the Risen Lord stands with His arms outstretched to a sinful
world with His blessed offer of salvation full and free.
This vital Bible verse is
just one of 60 carefully selected scriptures that are contained in the
Navigators Scripture Memory course. If you want to
memorize Scripture, but aren't sure what to memorize or how to get started,
this is exactly what you need. The Topical Memory System includes memory verse cards in four different Bible versions -
NIV, KJV, NASB, NKJV. Topics include all of the basics of the Christ-centered
Spirit-filled life, sharing your faith, and growing on to maturity in your walk
with God. May God bless you as you fill your life with His Word.
© Copyright 2002, LeRoy Eims