Jump the creek. Jumping farther than everyone else as the ropes continue to get farther apart is the name of the game.  

There is so much for deep reflection for us in our personal time with the Lord. I highly encourage you to read, study, and pray through each of these chapters in Romans.  

Here is a key verse though, “What then? Are we better than they? Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin.” Romans 3:9  

Paul is establishing the chasm between all of us and the righteousness of the Lord. We can fall into comparing ourselves with others and believing we are leading the charge because our morals are better than theirs. Maybe, you think you’ve helped more old ladies cross the road or you’ve taken the higher road in arguments more than others. You fill in the blank of your comparison, it’s easy for us to do… myself included. This establishes feeling good about ourselves going to heaven based upon our goodness, not because of His righteousness.  

“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” Romans 3:23-26  

No matter who you are: Jewish, Gentile, raised in a godly family or on the southside of Winston the chasm (the creek) has been extended farther then we can jump. Paul is establishing the gap between the sinful nature of us as people and the pure holiness and righteousness of the Lord. It is our faith in Him that is our justification. Quit trying to jump farther than the next person. It won’t work and, in the end, you come up short.  

As we quit trying to be the farthest creek jumper and start relying on the righteousness of Christ, we begin to enjoy the relationship He has established with us. The joy of His unmerited favor then seeps out of us to our families, friends, and the world around us that needs the love of Jesus.  

- To Know Jesus. To Live on Mission.