Have you ever known someone who honestly felt that they never did anything wrong, that they did everything correctly, and never ever sinned? Not too many people think that way, as most admit that they occasionally do the wrong thing, but I’ve known a couple of just such individuals who felt they never did anything wrong. Then there are some folks who are genuinely good people, who seem to never do anything wrong, dishonest, or underhanded. Are they really as good as they look? As we look at today’s Scripture, we will see whether there are people who are always good, who never do anything wrong or bad.
The Apostle Paul comes right to the point with the opening verse of our Scripture passage today. Here he plainly says that all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God (vs. 23). God states here that even the most righteous among us have committed some sins. If we look closely at some people that we think are just about perfect, those that we even count as saints, we will see that somewhere, at sometime in their life, they did some sin, even if it was “small” sins. Even the best of people, the most righteous among us, continue to come short of the glory of God on a continuing basis.
All sins make us sinners. One doesn’t have to commit big, huge, grievous sins to be a sinner. When God describes in the Book of Revelation those who will be cast into the lake of fire because of their sins, He lists liars right there with murderers and other sinners (Revelation 21:8). One doesn’t have to commit a dozen murders to be a murderer. Just one murder makes them one. Likewise one lie makes one a liar, and God says all liars will be cast into the lake of fire. All sin cuts us off from our holy God. All sin leads to death, regardless of how great or small it may seem to be. It disqualifies us from living with God. So as we see here in God’s Word, we are all sinners, and the penalty for sin is death and separation from God for eternity.
That is bad news, but God doesn’t just leave us there in that terrible condition. As our Scripture continues, we see how God has provided redemption and remission of our sins through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ (vs. 24-25). Jesus shed His Blood on the cross to pay the penalty that our sins deserve. God poured out on Jesus, His sinless Son, His wrath for those sins, and all who believe and accept Him as Savior are given the gift of eternal life.
Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sin (Hebrews 9:22). Without forgiveness of sin, there is no relationship with God. Without a relationship with God, there is no eternal life. To receive that forgiveness, we must choose to come to God for it. We must accept the fact that we are sinners, and need God’s forgiveness. It is a free gift, offered to all by God, but it is only granted to those who have faith in Jesus Christ. We must accept the truth of our sinfulness, repent, and turn by faith to the work of Jesus on the cross.
God sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins, and to satisfy His anger against sin. We are made right with God when we believe that Jesus shed His Blood, sacrificing His life for us. Jesus, the Lamb of God, sacrificed Himself, and shed His Blood. He became the sacrifice for our sins. He makes us righteous, which places us in a right relationship with God. Being right with God is a gift from Him. The Blood of Jesus shed on the cross is God’s way to save us. The only permanent forgiveness for sin is the Blood of Jesus.
Calvary is proof of God’s righteousness, not only for our past, but also for our present and our future, as well. Faith in the shed Blood of Jesus makes us righteous. It means protection and provision in our daily walk. Salvation is a free gift, offered to everyone who confesses Jesus as their Savior and Lord. However, for God it was a very costly transaction. We need to never take our salvation lightly or for granted.
If you haven’t already taken Jesus as your Savior, I plead with you not to put off that decision one more moment. Acknowledge that you are a sinner, and the judgment for sin is hell. Believe that Jesus, the sinless Son of God came to earth, took our sins upon Himself, and died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. Call upon Jesus now as your Savior.
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