We Missed, He Hit!

Tuesday, April 27, 2021

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;…” (Romans 3:23 KJV).

Have we missed the mark? Indeed, we all have!

In Ancient Greek, “hamartia” (“sinned”) originally meant “missing the mark.” God’s righteous standard is the exact center of a bullseye. We “do the best we can” when it is our time to throw the dart or fire the gun, but sin causes us to miss the mark. The “best we can” is not enough. Even if we try again, promising to do better, we still have the past (our first failed attempt).

“[9] What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; [10] As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: [11] There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. [12] They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one…. [19] Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. [20] Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

“[21] But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; [22] Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: [23] For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; [24] Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: [25] 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; [26] To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.”

To “believeth in Jesus” means we acknowledge He hit the mark at Calvary—measuring up to God’s standard of righteousness. His hit is thus credited to us!