For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard. Yet God, in His grace, freely makes us right in His sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when He freed us from the penalty for our sins. Romans 3:23-24
When an offense has been made, who should be the first person to take a step toward reconciliation: the offender or the one offended? The offender is usually the first person to go to the person they have offended and apologize, right? Scripture teaches us that when it comes to our relationship with Christ, the exact opposite is true. When we were considered enemies and far from God, Jesus took the first step toward reconciliation by coming to earth, dying an innocent death, and rising from the grave.
The apostle Paul explains in Romans 3 that Jesus came to pay the price that was owed for our sin, death, so that we would not have to pay it. He writes in Romans 3 that without Christ, all people are dead in their sins. In verse 25, he teaches that when we were dead in our sin, Jesus came to earth and became a sacrifice for us and took the punishment for our sin that we deserved, even though Jesus was sinless and perfect. In doing this, when we place our faith in Him, the sacrificial death of Jesus becomes a substitution for the punishment that we deserve. The word that we use for this is atonement. We deserved death, but our sins were paid for, or atoned for, by Jesus. Because Jesus took on the death that we deserve, we are forgiven and offered eternal life. Praise God that He does not give us what we deserve and offers eternal life through Jesus instead.
Jesus' death was not accidental. It did not surprise God the Father or catch Him off-guard. Jesus came, knowing that His purpose was to die and atone our sins, paying the debt demanded for sin. He did it for all of humanity, including you. Everything He did was motivated out of His great love for us. Never forget how very, very loved that you are, my friend. All you have to do is look to the cross to see that God loved you so much that He sent Jesus to die in your place. There truly is no greater love.
God's restoration is truly an act of grace that sometimes we take for granted. Take a few moments to remember and reflect on the fact that Jesus came to us while we were still sinners and showed no sign of remorse. As you reflect, pray, thanking God for His marvelous grace in taking a step toward us when we could not take a step toward Him.
Well then, should we conclude that we Jews are better than others? No, not at all, for we have already shown that all people, whether Jews or Gentiles, are under the power of sin. As the Scriptures say,
“No one is righteous—
not even one.
No one is truly wise;
no one is seeking God.
All have turned away;
all have become useless.
No one does good,
not a single one.”
“Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave.
Their tongues are filled with lies.”
“Snake venom drips from their lips.”
“Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”
“They rush to commit murder.
Destruction and misery always follow them.
They don’t know where to find peace.”
“They have no fear of God at all.”
Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God. For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.
But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.
For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he makes sinners right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.
Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.
After all, is God the God of the Jews only? Isn’t he also the God of the Gentiles? Of course he is. There is only one God, and he makes people right with himself only by faith, whether they are Jews or Gentiles. Well then, if we emphasize faith, does this mean that we can forget about the law? Of course not! In fact, only when we have faith do we truly fulfill the law.
