"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." Romans 3:23-24 (NIV)
Sin is alive and well in the world today. We all know people in our lives that we continue to pray for as they battle through different sins that may ensnare them daily. We, as Christians, find ourselves satisfied that we have prayed for the "sinners" around us, asking God to forgive them and help them see their shortcomings.
I know this woman who is a great and loyal friend, but who can be prideful and self-righteous many times in our conversations. This woman can be judgmental at times and entertains gossip more than she should. You see, the one thing I have prayed about with this woman is the fact that she continues to deny her own sin. She can immediately see the sins of others yet fails to admit her own sin. She often brushes off her sin as an accident or an indiscretion, which a quick "my bad" can fix.
If you haven't already guessed this woman is actually me. Yes, I, like you, am a sinner. It is just as easy for me to overlook my own sins as I sit back and judge the sins of others. Romans 3:23 reminds us that we ALL have sinned. Everyone of us has sin in our lives. We ALL fall short of the glory of God. Yet there is Hope!
If you stop at verse 23, you would assume that the verse would go on to say the following -- "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and now there will be hell to pay!" Yet, verse 24 offers hope not damnation. We are "justified freely by his grace!" Praise the Lord!
As you spend time with Lord, don't just stop at praying for the other sinners in your lives. Pray for the sinner in your own life!
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