The Gap We Can’t Close

Opening Scripture:

Romans 3:23 NLT

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.

Paul in the first 3 chapters of Romans builds an argument to show each class/group of people how they fall short of meeting God’s standard.

Romans 1: Paul calls out and condemns the gentiles sin of Idolatry and immorality

Romans 2: Paul Exposes Jewish sins of hypocrisy and reliance on the law

Romans 3:9-20: Paul declares universal guilt of all humanity

Romans 3:21-26: Paul reveals the solution — Justification by faith in Christ

Sin (hamartia) literally means “missing the mark”, like an archer whose arrow falls short of the target.

Swept Away Or Anchored?

Isaiah 64:6 NLT

We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind.

We often times try to close the gap of sin in our lives by our actions

Israel had offered sin offerings to the Lord but it can only temporarily satisfy the stain of sin on our lives

However, God sent us His Son Jesus to be the permanent Sin offering that doesn’t just satisfy the penalty of sin but reconciles us back to God —- cleanses us from the stain on sin and makes us righteous before the Father.

Even the best deed that we have ever done in our life is like a filthy rag in the eyes of the Lord because of the weight of our Sin.

Sin distorts the image of righteousness

Jesus restores the image of righteousness

Sin will sweep us away into a place of darkness

Jesus is the Anchor for our Soul.

Humble Your Mind

Ecclesiastes 7:20 NLT

Not a single person on earth is always good and never sins.

We often times fall into the trap of thinking that we are perfect because of our actions and yet according to scripture we still miss the mark of God’s standard.

From the moment that we were born into the world we entered into a corrupt world that is filled with Sin.

Because we live and walk in the flesh we are always going to be tempted to Sin — There may even be times where we fall into Sin and don’t realize it right away.

Paul also tells the Romans that echos into our modern day that “We should not think of ourselves better than anyone else”.

If we choose NOT to humble our mind/thoughts we will always miss the mark of grace in which leads us into true salvation — this was given to us by the completed works of Jesus Christ on the cross and through His Resurrection.

The Glory Gap

Psalm 14:2–3 NLT

The Lord looks down from heaven on the entire human race; he looks to see if anyone is truly wise, if anyone seeks God. But no, all have turned away; all have become corrupt. No one does good, not a single one!

God is constantly watching over us — As He looks over us He only sees the stain of Sin in which has corrupted the whole world including humanity.

As God looks He sees that we easily become distracted by Sin

As we call upon the name of Jesus and receive Him into our hearts/lives as our personal Lord and Savior We are given access to the Father

Jesus gives us the right to seek the presence of God

As we seek the presence of God we then tap into the glory of God

Either we are going to be crushed by the weight of sin

OR We are going to be uplifted by the glory of the Lord through a personal relationship with Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior.