Did you know that there are hundreds of world-class climbers who spend thousands of dollars each year to climb Mount Everest only to fall short? In fact, it takes the average climber four to five attempts to summit the peak. That is dedication and sacrifice. Did you know that we are continually falling short of God’s standard of righteousness daily? Thankfully we aren’t expected to hit that mark. We have to believe in faith.
Romans 3:23
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
Only By Grace
Chapter 3 of Romans is Paul telling the church in Rome that there isn’t a righteous person on earth. At the same time, he is telling them that Christ’s atoning work on the cross is sufficient for them. We don’t need to earn our salvation, nor can we. It is only by the grace of God through our faith in His Son Jesus that we can be saved. If we attempt to impress Go with our efforts, with will always fall short of His standard.
On Level Ground
Sadly, in the church, you see many people who are impressed with their self-righteousness. They act like they do it better than everyone else and look down their noses in judgment at those who stumble in sin. Paul is very clear that we are all equal in our unrighteousness. Someone who sins once is on the same ground as the one who continually sins. Only one person walked this earth without sin, Jesus Christ.
Falling Short of God’s Standard
Take the path of humility when it comes to assessing your life. Realize you are a hopeless sinner, and without the grace of Jesus, you would be condemned to death. You bring nothing to the table. Fortunately, Jesus tells us that we only have to put our faith in Him, and we will be saved from the penalty of our sin, death. Once we surrender our lives, death loses its grip on our lives, and we a flooded with abundant grace.