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Romans 3:23 - For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
How many times have we read/heard this verse? As Christians we hear this verse all the time, but how many of us really understand what it's saying? Not just with a knowledge understanding, or, "I'm saved so of course I know." But do we really understand how great a separation we had? Sometimes we can forget just how much this verse means. Sometimes we can be like the church of Ephesus:
Revelation 2:2-5a - I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou are fallen, and repent, and do the first works;
The church at Ephesus had been doing the right motions, but with the wrong motive. They forgot Jesus, they forgot where they had started:
Ephesians 2:1-3 - And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
They started out as sinners, for that is our nature as people. They followed the world, lusts, fulfilling desires of the flesh and mind. But then comes the amazing part:
Ephesians 2:4-9 - But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved
And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Even when they were sinners, Christ gave them grace. He gives us all grace and sometimes we forget how great salvation is. We get consumed with doing his work, yet we forget that God gave us His grace to do His work. We all too many times forget our First Love. So I ask you again to read our starting verse and continuing on with His grace:
Romans 3:23-28 - For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.
Casting Crowns #6 Glorious Day (Living He Loved Me) - YouTube
For more from me go to my site: Restoring Waters | A collection of inspirational videos, music, messages, and devotionals.
How many times have we read/heard this verse? As Christians we hear this verse all the time, but how many of us really understand what it's saying? Not just with a knowledge understanding, or, "I'm saved so of course I know." But do we really understand how great a separation we had? Sometimes we can forget just how much this verse means. Sometimes we can be like the church of Ephesus:
Revelation 2:2-5a - I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou are fallen, and repent, and do the first works;
The church at Ephesus had been doing the right motions, but with the wrong motive. They forgot Jesus, they forgot where they had started:
Ephesians 2:1-3 - And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
They started out as sinners, for that is our nature as people. They followed the world, lusts, fulfilling desires of the flesh and mind. But then comes the amazing part:
Ephesians 2:4-9 - But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved
And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.Even when they were sinners, Christ gave them grace. He gives us all grace and sometimes we forget how great salvation is. We get consumed with doing his work, yet we forget that God gave us His grace to do His work. We all too many times forget our First Love. So I ask you again to read our starting verse and continuing on with His grace:
Romans 3:23-28 - For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.
Casting Crowns #6 Glorious Day (Living He Loved Me) - YouTube
For more from me go to my site: Restoring Waters | A collection of inspirational videos, music, messages, and devotionals.