Romans 3:23-26
²³ALL HAVE SINNED AND FALL SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD, ²⁴being JUSTIFIED as a GIFT by His grace through the redemption which is IN CHRIST JESUS; ²⁵whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation IN HIS BLOOD through faith. This was TO DEMONSTRATE HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; ²⁶for the demonstration, I say, of HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS at the present time, so that He would be JUST and the JUSTIFIER of the one WHO HAS FAITH IN JESUS.
²³ALL HAVE SINNED AND FALL SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD
We look further into the history of Bible interpretation on this verse. Now the second part of this verse.
FALL SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD
You will be astounded about this.
Why? Well because men today have adopted the idea, that falling short of the glory of God means that God had a wonderful plan for your life, and you you’re missing it, because you didn’t SELF-FULFIL your part, you didn’t SELF-REALISE it, and you didn’t SELF EVERYTHING else… But THIS IS NOT ABOUT YOU!
But the vers reads: ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. When it says ALL, than it INCLUDES YOU !
The proper historical interpretation, the one in the context of Romans itself, is this:
Although you know God,
▪︎ you did not honor him as God,
▪︎ you did not give thanks to God.
• God made you for His glory,
and not so you could glorify yourself!
• God made you for His glory,
and you are not serving that purpose!
And because of this man has DISLOCATED and DISFIGURED himself.
Seeking to be something. But…
WITHOUT GOD, WITHOUT THE CHRIST YOU ARE NOTHING!
Mankind was never created to ruin his own life, to jeopardy of his own peace! But we all did…!
²³ALL HAVE SINNED AND FALL SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD
You and I are only whole, when we see God HIGH ABOVE OURSELVES, and we WORSHIP and SERVE GOD FOR WHO HE IS, rather than our own punny purposes. (And remember: the ONLY way to the Father is Jesus)
ALL HAVE SINNED AND FALLEN SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD. So the only way in which we are going to be able to regain our idea of the INFLUENCE OF SIN, is first to regain knowledge of THE GLORY OF GOD.
As we saw yesterday, God reviews Israel in the Book of Psalms, and says:
You committed all these things,
You committed all these sins
BECAUSE YOU THOUGHT I WAS LIKE YOU.
²³ALL HAVE SINNED AND FALL SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD
This presents the greatest problem.
As a matter of fact, mankind has only one problem. It’s sin!
And why is sin a problem?
Not because of sin itself.
The problem is that WE ARE EVIL and GOD IS GOOD!
Sin would not be a problem at all, if God was like us.
Sin would not be a problem at all, if God were not righteous or holy.
That God is righteous, and holy, and just is the MOST TERRIFYING TRUTH in Scripture. For the thinking man, the most terrifying truth is this: GOD IS GOOD!
Why? Because YOU’RE NOT GOOD!
So what does a good, righteous, holy, and just God do with someone like you and me?
That is THE GREAT PROBLEM!
In the book of Revelation we read that the last judgment, the final judgment, comes before the new creation.
Before the creation of the new heaven and the new earth, God will have to utterly destroy some of you.
• When you are not born again,
He will have to send you to hell,
because if you would only touch the new creation,
you would defile it.
• When you are not born again,
there is no place found for you,
because if you could only touch the new creation,
you would bring it into the same miserable state, as the present creation is.
So if you’re NOT born again,
• if you’re living in sin,
• if your heart belongs to this world,
• if your heart belongs to the materials and goods which this world offers you, (and you are only looking for “material blessings”),
• if you are trying to hide sins for God,
(you cannot hide anything for God),
• if you are trying to keep things secret for God,
(you cannot keep anything secret for God).
Then in order to save the new creation,
God will first have to ruin and destroy you,
just to save the new creation.
I hope you start to realize now how much we need the Redeemer, in the person of Jesus Christ to just be able to survive God’s righteous judgment.
• What must a good God do with violated, twisted, perverted, evil souls?
• What has God to do with you?
God will rightfully and righteously JUDGE ALL.
That is including you and me!
IF you don’t accept His grace, you leave God no other choice than send you directly to hell.
Just to save His new creation, He has to get rid of you!
But God is not only just, and righteous; He is also love!
So He offers you grace through the sacrifice of His Son.
Jesus drank the full cup of God’s wrath in your place.
So you too can enter heaven instead of hell.
BUT…
• if you’re still living in sin,
• if your heart still belongs to this world,
• if your heart still longs for more of the materials and goods of this world,
• if you don’t belong to Him yet, then hurry, and turn to Him now! Don’t delay!
If you don’t accept God’s invitation, there will be a day coming, on which you will start to be so very sorry, for all eternity, that you did not grasp God’s stretched out hand.
If you didn’t yet, then do it right now!
Repent of your sins, and follow Jesus!
To be continued.
About Author
