Changed to Fit the Standard

Roman 3:22

These verses tell it like it is. No one is good enough for God. You can't pile up Brownie points and hope they make you acceptable in his sight. The only people who think they can make it on their own are people who have cut God down to their size. The problem is that God is who he is and he is perfect holiness. That's the bad news and it's the good news.

How can people like you or me be made right with God? Where do we get the righteousness we need? The good news is that God's kind of righteousness has been made available to us (Roman 3:21) as a free gift (Roman 3:24). It's for anyone who has faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 3:22), which simply means you don't get the gift unless you take it.

God can't pretend sin doesn't exist. He doesn't look at us and make excuses for us. He had to do something about sin to break its power over us. So he sent Jesus and we have been rescued-redeemed-by him (Roman 3:24). Jesus died as a sacrifice to pay sin's penalty (Roman 3:25), and to those who believe and receive his offer, he does a wonderful thing: he justifies us (Roman 3:24).

If you need to be justified, it means something is wrong. You don't match the standard. In justifying us, God takes care of our sin-and then does something even greater-he gives us the righteousness of Jesus Christ. It's like receiving new clothes that fit us and are appropriate for going into the presence of the king. What do we lack? Righteousness, What does Jesus give us? His righteousness. he doesn't change his standard in order to include us. He changes us to fit the standard.

We must take a good look at ourselves. Do we deserve this? No, it is God's grace (Roman 3:24) that brings about this marvelous change in our lives. How should a person respond to such a gift? Receive it thankfully. Remember who you are and whose clothes you are wearing. Remember how you came to belong to Jesus Christ.