For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)

The Never Ending Fall

Satan’s tempting of Eve in the garden brought about the fall of man. When Eve took of the fruit and gave some to Adam, they both became fearful and ashamed. As a consequence of their disobedience, the Lord cast them from the garden, and the legacy of man’s fall began. From the beginning of time, worship has been the avenue of man seeking the grace and mercy of God. Cain and Abel offered sacrifices. Abraham was a man whose travels could be seen from the smoke of his altars. God gave the Law to the Hebrews, forming a holy nation to Himself. The blood of countless animals was shed for the remission of sins. With all the sacrifices offered since time began, the debt owed to God had not been paid.

Jesus came into the world to redeem humanity back to the Father. The Son of God lived a perfect and sinless life. Jesus became the author of salvation to all who believe in Him through His sacrifice of complete purity. All those who come to the Son of God can be justified freely by His grace through the redemption in Christ Jesus. Jesus made possible the avenue of grace that a man could be justified by faith, having peace with God in forgiving his sins. Peter declared on the day of Pentecost that if a man repents and is baptized for the remission of sins, he can enjoy the covenant grace of a loving Father. Baptism washes away all the sins of a person’s life as far as the East is from the West. God removes sin completely through His grace.

There is great joy in understanding the power of God’s saving grace. The Lord has promised eternal life to those who do His will and each soul can know they have everlasting life. No greater hope can a man find than what God promises in His word. Understanding God’s grace is understanding the measure of His grace. Paul reminds the Roman church that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. The apostle affirms the knowledge of justification and righteousness gives a person hope in the face of a dark world. Paul said that all sin and fall short of the glory of God. This is not a one-time event, a localized problem, or a one-and-done type of relationship.

The reality for the child of God is to acknowledge that because of sin, the soul continues to fall short of God’s grace. Fighting the battle of sin is a life-long endeavor. The only time sin can be defeated is in the death of the child of God. All sin and continue to fall short of the glory of God. It is important to see sin for what it is and how great the mercy of God is to forgive sin, even though the heart of man continues to fall short. The nature of man is a never-ending fall. He can do nothing to redeem himself from the debt of sin. Jesus paid a price that can never be repaid. And yet – through the love and compassion of God, a man can be justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

When the publican prayed to God, he acknowledged he was a sinner. He asked God to be merciful because he was undeserving of the forgiveness of the Lord. The Pharisee bragged about his sinless soul, condemning himself more fully as an unrepentant sinner. Jesus said the publican was justified because he knew how much he needed God. I have sinned, and I struggle as I continue to fall short of the glory of God. The joy of salvation is found in walking in the light where the grace of God abounds. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, but those who are in Christ are not condemned. Hallelujah.