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Romans 3:23-24, ...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

In this chapter, Paul continues to discuss the sinfulness of human beings. No one is righteous, no matter one's religious upbringing (Jew vs. non-Jew), occupation, or station in life; every single person is a sinner. It sounds a bit hopeless but Paul is leading up to something very important. Yes, all people are sinners and all people fall short of God's standard BUT we can be saved through the gift of grace that comes with believing in Jesus Christ.

It's pretty incredible really. We are all a broken mess. We are born inclined to sin and this sinfulness creates a barrier between God and us. But Jesus' sacrifice on the cross atoned for our sins. What in the world does that mean? When Jesus died on the cross, our sins and the sins of all humanity died up there with him. If you think back to the Old Testament sacrificial system, Jesus was the final, perfect sacrifice. As God himself, Jesus was holy and totally without sin. He gave his life to be the sacrifice to end all sacrifices. His death on the cross created a bridge between God and us. No more barrier. If we have said yes to Jesus, then when God looks at us, he doesn't see our sinfulness but rather Jesus' sacrifice. The blood of Jesus essentially covers us or atones for us. Now, because of Jesus' sacrifice, we are free to walk hand in hand with a holy God.

And we did nothing to earn this or deserve it. As Paul writes, it was a gift of grace. Grace is God's unmerited, amazing love that is freely given to all those who believe. "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me..."

Let's pray...God, your grace is truly amazing. We know that we are a sinful mess and yet you sent Jesus to die in our place. We are grateful and in awe of your love. Help us, as we overflow with your grace and love, to share it with those around us. Give us opportunities TODAY to share your love in ways that make a difference to the people we encounter. We love you, Lord. Amen.