for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Romans 3:23-24 KJV
The Context and Charge:
Two sentences; two different earthly and eternal realities. Two verses, with very different conclusions. Two truths, one with a non-negotiable conclusion, and the other with room for a decision. For all men born of women, the first part is true. All of us were born in sin, inheriting the nature of sin from Adam, our first earthly father. All, without exception, have sinned. We could not earn God's approval by anything we could do, say or offer; even the blood of bulls and goats was just a stop-gap to cover over sin until the perfect option could be offered. We all have fallen short of God's expectations for us.
However, that is not where the story ends. The next sentence tells us what we have received to counter what the first sentence says. Yes, we sinned, but the perfect sacrifice was offered as a price for man's sin. It came free to me, but it cost God the life of His only begotten son Jesus. We received justification, which is a gift that is fundamentally different from what it came to cure. In line with God's Word, sin rightly required judgment and punishment, which God would have been justified to apply, but his grace spoke on our behalf, giving us what we could not work for or earn and what we did not deserve.
The Contention and Conclusion:
As I read the above, I realize that I have been both advised and warned. I have been advised of the benefits I can access in and through Christ, but I have also been warned about what I stand to lose if I reject the gift I have been given. This is where the caution is: God has done, once and for all, what is required for men to be fully reconciled to Him. His arms are wide open to receive as many as would return to Him, but he does not compel. Like the verses above say, I have received justification freely, without price to me. If it is free, imagine the contempt and disregard many will show to that grace.
If I will embrace that grace, I will enjoy the benefits. It is as simple as that. At the time Christ died, I was not even born, so there was nothing I could have done to deserve him giving his life for me. His sacrifice has gone ahead of whatever sin I may commit, and as long as I repent and forsake the sin, I stand justified by faith in Christ's finished work. Jesus is the key to all these; He is the One whose blood speaks of better things than the blood of Abel. God's grace is able and sufficient for all that the devil may throw at me. I am set free; justified; bound for heaven. What of you? God's time of favour is here.
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