For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. ESV

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. NIV

During the late hours of the night in a quiet hospital room, I looked down at my son, who had just been born hours before. I remember how this verse crossed my mind, and how for a moment, I found it nearly impossible to believe. 

He seemed nothing but innocent, peaceful, and good. “How in the world could there be sin in him?” I wondered. 

Now, fast-forward two and a half years later, and he’s still precious and all things sweet and tender, but I can admit I’ve never had to teach him how to push, take, or complain. He’s done that all on his own.

Reality check: all human beings share the same problem. ALL have sinned. ALL fall short. The young and the old. The poor and the rich alike. The “good” and the “bad.” Each of us, on our own, has broken our relationship with our Good Father.
 
In Romans 3, Paul reminds us of this and how King David first said: “All have turned aside, there is no one who does good, not even one”. But he follows this week's verse, reminding us of universal falseness with universal hope: sinners “are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” 

So, we must first recognize our brokenness before we can ever see our need for and receive this grace. Because if I were to continue on believing the illusion that my son was only good, I would leave him to his own decisions rather than pointing him toward what is truly good. 

My son is precious to me, but he is not perfect. Neither am I. Neither are you.

This is real love and true goodness: to know the truth and speak it in love. All have sinned. All fall short. But we are all offered the same undeserved gift: salvation that leads to eternity with God for all who believe.

Written by Blake Stanley