Devotion 3.21/122: Romans 3:22b-23: Short

Read Romans 3

Romans 3:22b-23: There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. I read a story by John Phillips:

     ‘Paul describes sin as a coming short of the divine standard.

Two men went to the recruiting office in London to join the guards regiment. The standard height for a guardsman was a minimum of six feet. One man was taller than the other, but when they were measured officially both were disqualified. The shorter of the two measured only five feet seven inches and was far too short; his companion measured five feet eleven and a half inches and, stretch to his utmost, as he did, he could not make it any more. Nor did his pleas avail. It mattered nothing that his father was a guardsman, that he promised to be a good soldier, that he had already memorized the drills and knew the army regulations by heart. He was short of the standard.

            Yes, he is taller than his friend (just like some people may seem holier than the rest of us) but it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter that he is taller, he still isn’t tall enough and there is nothing he can do about that. There is nothing he can do to grow any bigger. Thus he failed to obtain his goal. Likewise, it doesn’t matter if we are Jew or Gentile, male or female, employer or employee, a missionary, a relatively good person, or what have you… for we have all sinned and thus fall short.

We know that “There is no difference, for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:22b-23) and we also know that we “are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:24). This is good news. Like so much in this world, it is not ‘what you know’ but it is ‘who you know’. Now to some this sounds unfair but when you take into account that no one knows enough to actually pass the test and merit salvation, then we really do appreciate this grace.

Now God loves the world so much that He did send His only begotten son so that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. He sent His son into the world to save the world not to condemn the world (John 3:16-17) and since He did that at such a great personal expense, let us please accept that gift today and let us not be ashamed of this good news (Romans 1:16-17), let us let all our friends and family know that the Lord our God loves us all. He has purchased this special gift of salvation for every one of us and all we have to do is not decline it; so please let us each accept that love present, that gift of eternal life today.As we accept this gift, our lives will never be the same again.