Creator, Father, King #264

All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

HOPEFULLY, YOU DON’T WORSHIP the sun, moon, hippopotamuses, or two thousand other false deities like the ancient Egyptians did. Hopefully, you don’t believe fanciful tales about twelve fickle demigods on Mount Olympus who bicker, scheme, and toy with humanity just for kicks like the ancient Greeks did.

Remember how we discussed in yesterday’s devotion that the apostle Paul condemned humanity’s overall rejection of God in spite of God’s loving self-revelation? Well, Paul didn’t just point the finger at ancient pagans who worshiped weird-looking, make-believe gods. No, he laid the blame of sin at everyone’s feet.

In Romans 3:10-18, he quotes a dozen different Old Testament passages of Scripture to show that every human being is guilty before God:

• None is righteous, no, not one. (verse 10, ESV)
• No one understands; no one seeks for God. (verse 11, ESV)
• All have turned aside; together they have become worthless. (verse 12, ESV)

This is all leading up to his famous gospel presentation in verses 23-25 (ESV):

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.

These are some of the most beautiful words in the entire Bible!

What’s It Mean?

This passage starts with really bad news and ends with really good news. First the bad news: we are all sinners, hopelessly separated from God by our unholy nature and deeds.

Now the good news: God is a loving gift-giver, and he freely wants to justify (or declare righteous in his sight) sinners through his grace. How can God possibly do this and still remain holy and just? Paul answers this in verse 24—“through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith” (ESV).

The word propitiation means “a wrath-bearing sacrifice.” In other words, Jesus died on the cross to bear all of God’s wrath (i.e., righteous anger) toward our sin and turn it into favor toward us. Now, when we receive this “redemption that is in Christ . . . by faith,” God doesn’t count our sins against us any longer. Instead, he sees us clothed in Christ’s righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21).

What an amazing transformation!

Now What?

Memorize Romans 3:23-25.

Did You Know?

The biblical concept of propitiation is also mentioned in Hebrews 2:17; 1 John 2:2; and 1 John 4:10.