The Depths of Sin
“Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God”.
This is a statement, the depths of which cannot be clearly measured from the pages of the Scriptures alone. It is a truth which can only be seen through observing humanity over time in light of the biblical record. Mortal man has been characterized by the grossest of sin, from lying to murder, from lustful thoughts to demoralized behavior, from deception to betrayal; every manner of sin can be seen over the centuries of man’s existence. We just have trouble believing the divine record as set forth in the Word of God when we see someone who is specially gifted, unusually kind, moral and visibly upright. But God’s Word says, that “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” The record of Scripture bears out this fact. The testimony of history in every nation, and within the culture of every people, bears witness to the sinfulness and depravity of man. It is just that we always expect our heroes to be exempt from this truth. Those we like or favor certainly cannot be guilty of such behavior. Sad though it is, we’ve been disappointed by everyone we’ve excused from this divine reality. Those whom we excuse, we do so because we are not just or fair in our judgments. But God is the righteous judge and has no respect of persons. He says, “The soul that sinneth, it shall die”. God sees us when no one else does. Can we escape the penetrating, omnipresent eye of Almighty God? Of course not! What are we thinking? Well, we minimize sin and pass over it as big sins and little sins: black lies and white lies: stories and tall tales. Somehow we manage to remove the seriousness of sin and turn it into some kind of mistake until it brutally hurts us. Then we want to label the person, judge the person, and destroy the person. Why not feel that way because God told you so in the beginning? Why do we have to get hurt and feel the devastation of sin before we believe what God has revealed in His Word? God’s Word is TRUE! Every word in it is pure. That’s why we need the Savior, Jesus Christ. That’s why God sent Him to die for us. If we weren’t that bad, He wouldn’t have had to die such a horrific death.
Lord, help us to believe your Word from start to finish of our lives and to govern ourselves from your reality and not our fantasies. Lord, help us to believe this truth about others and about ourselves.
Prayerfully Submitted
Pastor Davis