This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…
Romans 3:22-23
All Have Sinned
Every person is a sinner. Sometimes we forget this. We hold people to an unattainable standard. The world worships famous people: actors, athletes, Hollywood stars, etc. Then, when they fail or say the wrong thing, they are done. It is all or nothing. They either worship you or hate you. In Christian culture, we can get caught up in treating people the same way. We hold pastors, ministers, Christian artists, etc. to a high standard, and then when they fail, and they will, we show little grace.
Now, there needs to be standards, don’t get me wrong, but what if we started with ourselves, and held ourselves to God’s standards? What if we lived by His words, His standards, His actions? Then, when people fail us, we would show them grace and love instead of condemnation. We need to remember that no one is exempt from sin except for Christ. He was the only one who was perfect. Romans 3:10b says, “None is righteous, no, not one.” We must remember this when dealing with people. If we do not want others to treat us with condemnation, then we must treat them with the same respect. God is the only judge.
A Prayer to Remember
Dear Lord,
You are a righteous and trustworthy judge. May I leave the judging to you and love others the way you love them. Amen.