But in His mercy God extends to the sinner the opportunity to obtain righteousness…
Every so often, I run into an argumentative individual who has an answer for everything that has or is going to take place under the sun. When I reach a certain point I ask: “Do you believe that every man, woman or child is under sin? Basically, are you in agreement that every person is a sinner?” If you ever want to see “hedging”, that is close to the perfect question. If you have time, the follow up question is, “Are you willing to identify the person that is without sin?” You will probably get the watered down version of sin!
Few are those who will acknowledge what the Scripture says on the subject—every person is born in sin and is a sinner by nature and by choice! The Apostle Paul, possibly the most determined individual to launch out into a life of “spotlessness” relating to religious indoctrination. However, in Acts 9, when confronted on the Damascus road, heard a voice: “Saul! Why are you persecuting me?” That does not sound much like a man “without sin”!
When the Apostle wrote the Book of Romans, he said in 3:9, “What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin; as it is written, ‘There is none righteous, not even one; there is none who seeks for God; all have turned aside, together they have become useless; there is none who does good, there is not even one.’”
When you apply a “plumb line” to our efforts toward righteousness on the part of an individual, you immediately discover, and it is like a revelation, that we are an unrighteous group. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” But in His mercy God extends to the sinner the opportunity to obtain righteousness “being justified as a gift by the grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed.”
In-as-much as we are sinners by nature and by choice we must understand the action of God toward us…It is by GRACE and GRACE alone that we can establish a right relationship with God. He paid the price! He wants our love in return! Freedom from sins penalty is when the sinner (you and I), acknowledge our sin and His atoning sacrifice on our behalf.
“Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved, you and your household.” (Acts 16:31) As said long ago, “Sufficient for all, but efficient only to those who believe!”
ETCetera 