If you have ever felt depressed, ashamed, condemned, forgotten, or alone, you understand what sin feels like. In our fallen world, sin is woven into the fabric of what it means to be human, and even without a theological definition, all of us can recognize it. We recognize the sorrow and emptiness of sin every day. Sin is not just about ‘doing bad things’: sin corrupts who we are created to be and separates us from the relationship with God we are designed to know and love.
The Painful Roots of Sin.
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” - Romans 3:23
The truth is that we are all born sinful - each and every one of us - and within our own power we have no means to escape our sin. We can never ‘be good enough’ to shake the curse of sin. As Paul writes in Romans chapter three, there is not a single person who is righteous on their own, nor can anyone even say that they are ‘a good person’ (Romans 3:11-12). Nothing we can think, do, or say will free us from sin. This seems harsh, but any parent knows what this looks like. No child has to be taught how to lie. No child needs to be taught selfishness, greed, or anger. Left to our own devices, we all come by these emotions naturally and must be diligently taught how to avoid them. This is the nature of sin at work within us.
The Glory of God
Fortunately, this is not where things must end! Sin entangles itself into every aspect of who we are, leading to hopelessness, until we understand that there is a way to be cleansed of it. This is the good news! We do not have to live in the shame and pain of sin! Leading up to this assertion of sin, Paul wrote “our unrighteousness” serves a purpose, as it “serves to show the righteousness of God” (Romans 3:5). Our sinful nature is not who we are designed to be, nor is it where we are designed to stay. The fact that we cannot make ourselves ‘good’ only serves as proof that God alone is good, and that through Him, we can have everything that sin holds us away from! Sin reveals a sharp contrast between the love of God and the evil of the world, and in accepting His grace and forgiveness we see His truth and beauty tear down the lies of sin.
Redemption in Christ Jesus
“And are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” - Romans 3:24
It sounds silly, but when I see the word ‘redemption’, I often think of ...coupons. Whether you find them online, in a mailer, or even if you still bust out the scissors and clip them from the newspaper, all coupons state what it is to be redeemed, and where this redeeming can take place. When you ‘redeem’ an item with a coupon, you pay less (or sometimes nothing) for that particular product. The important thing is that the price and value of the product have not changed. The retail price is still the retail price. But when you walk to the checkout counter and hand over that coupon, you do not pay that price because it has already been paid for you. The coupon is a gift that just needs to be acted upon.
The entirety of scripture is filled with accounts of God’s redemptive work among us, a redemption that we cannot ever possibly earn enough to pay for ourselves. Not even close! Our redemption is a gift of God’s grace alone. Our eternal worth in Christ is not something we could ever afford to pay, but the price is already paid through Christ’s redemption on the cross. It is for us to simply accept this redemption of our souls. When we learn to embrace and proclaim this truth, we find the freedom we cannot even imagine any other way.
Justified by God
Even once we have accepted His infinite grace, can we truly be justified before God? We may often ask ourselves this question, as many have asked it for generations before us. Throughout scripture we see the question written ‘in between the lines.’ In Ecclesiastes 3:16, King Solomon clearly states the difficulty in finding justice in the world, saying “in the place of justice, even there was wickedness, and in the place of righteousness, even there was wickedness”. We humans regularly fail to define and determine justice. True justice is found in and from God. The justice he offers us through his redemption is completely unmerited and unrestrained by anything we consider ‘just’. The good news of the gospel is that we who are guilty before him can be justified, the price of redemption has been paid, and God’s justice satisfied.
The Gift of Grace
Earlier in Romans 3, Paul drives home the fact that we are all sinners deserving of God’s wrath, but he doesn’t end the discussion there! He continues on into verse 24 with the truth that we are justified through the gift of grace! Titus echoes this thought, as he writes, “being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:7).
Through this gift of God’s grace, we are justified, made clean, made Holy, and given the opportunity to share this grace with those around us. Our freedom in Christ springs from the fact that His grace is free, His justification is final, and His redemption is complete. Through His holiness, we are free to live unhindered by shame and guilt, strengthened by the power of the Holy Spirit, and equipped to do what only He can do in and through us. To God be the glory for His matchless, infinite grace!
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Tutye
Jason Soroski is a homeschool dad and member of the worship team at matthias lot church in St. Charles, MO. He spends his free time hanging out with his family, exploring new places, and writing about the experiences. Connect on Facebook or at JasonSoroski.net.