“. . . for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.” (Romans 3:23-25)
In these days of moral chaos, many people (notably media pundits, politicians, celebrities, and anyone with a social media account) claim to be dictate what is just and right. But if they do not base their definition of right and wrong on God’s Word and God’s Law, they are in error. In fact, their claim to be the fount of moral truth and ethics that they think allows them to dictate to others is completely unfounded. As Paul says, in the face of God’s Law no human being may boast. All are accountable to God for all fall short of His glory. In the light of God’s Law we must all be silent for we are all condemned by it. Who then are we to make accusations? Who are we to demand justice? If we demand justice it will fall on us as well.
These words of Paul’s lie at the heart of the Reformation for they are the heart of the gospel of grace. Paul here stresses the truth that every human being is by nature a sinner in need of God’s mercy and grace, including those who claim they are righteous and good, for even they fall far short of God’s standard of holiness. Not only do they fail to obey every detail, they obey for the wrong reasons. Many obey to earn favor with God or as a means of earning their way into heaven, whatever form they think that takes. In any case, they are in rebellion against the Lord because they assume they can be perfect and sinless by their own efforts. They maintain, essentially, that they do not need God or His help.
Paul reveals to us that the Law serves as a mirror that shows us our sins and our hopelessness. In order to rectify our hopeless situation and make us right with Him, the Lord justifies us, that is, declares and makes us righteous. By making us righteous He enables us to live lives of love, righteousness, and compassion. He does not excuse or ignore sin, nor does He merely forgive it for sin is a very serious offense that provokes His anger. Rather, He atones for our sin, all of it. In love, He took the necessary steps to make us right with Him by offering up His Son Jesus as our sin offering. Paul makes it abundantly clear that the work of salvation is all God’s work. We human beings add nothing, not even the faith to accept it. Even that comes from God as He enables us to see our sinful depravity and our hopeless state. Then as we stand on the edge of the abyss of despair, He reaches out to us with His gift of mercy