19 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. 20 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.
21 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. 22 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.
23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. 24 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. 25 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, 26 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.
Romans 3:19-26
Dear God, there are a lot of great things about putting chapters, verses, and section headings in our modern Bibles, but there is one glaring weakness: context. Today’s verses for Bible Gateway were Romans 3:23-24, but I think verses 19-26 are important to capture the entire thought Paul was communicating.
I was watching an old sitcom last night from the 90s that my wife and I used to watch as newlyweds. It’s called Mad About You. It too was about newlyweds so it was really fun for us to relate to at the time. The episode I watched contained a line we both remember originally seeing and have used in the years since. In the scene, the husband and wife are arguing over something that he did that was clearly wrong, but she cannot get him to admit he was wrong. The closest he gets is saying, “This is not the most right I have ever been.” That’s the line we have used over the years. But in the end, he was just wrong.
We all are sometimes. Sometimes, we are all just wrong. Sometimes I am sinful. Sometimes I am selfish. Sometimes I will take advantage of someone else to benefit myself. I’m not going to get into the theology of this verse as it applies to other people, who is “saved” and who isn’t, etc. I’m just going to say this morning, for me, I need you. I need Jesus’s blood to cover me so that you won’t be able to see my sin. I need Jesus’s blood to cover me so I too can be free from my sin and move on. I need Jesus’s example so I can pursue a life of meaning that is based on the peace of knowing just how small I am and just how big you are. I need Jesus’s resurrection to give me the power to let go of my own agenda and embrace a life of loving you and serving others.
Father, first, I want to thank you for a good day yesterday. I felt very loved on a day when sometimes I feel a lot of self-pity. Thank you. Thank you for the people you’ve put around me. Thank you for your grace. Thank you, Father, Jesus, and Holy Spirit.
I pray all of this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,
Amen
Emails to God 