Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Context: Romans 3:24-26 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
From the lexicon: Sinned=missed the mark. Come short=fall behind. Glory=good opinion
Pulling it together: Romans three twenty-three is often quoted in a presentation of the Gospel. It gives proof of our need of a Savior. All of us–every person ever born–have missed the mark of God’s holy standard. Verse ten of the same chapter quotes from the Old Testament: There is none righteous; no not one. We on our own can never reach the good opinion of God. We just can’t make it. That’s where Jesus stepped in. He provided the way for us to be declared righteous before God. He paid our sin debt becoming the propitiation, or payment in full, for our sins. Verses 35-26 speak of God’s righteousness and His justice. How can He forgive the believer yet condemn those who won’t receive His gift of salvation? It is because of Jesus’s substitutionary death on the Cross for us. 2 Corinthians 5:21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. That is the glorious Gospel by which we are saved if we receive its truth.
Lord, I pray for grace to never forget the wonderful truth of the Gospel. Even in the darkest of hour may I hold it close to my heart.