I was having a discussion with a colleague about grace and she asked me a question. She said something about being in a gathering where they were informed that the reason why they do not preach grace is because people will find it as an excuse to sin. I think she asked me the question when I told her that I was not a sinner.
Then back to her question, our conversation took a twist when she quoted ‘For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23). To continue with the discussion, I opened the passage by myself and we read from verse 21-24. But for this discussion let us read Romans 3:21-26 for a better understanding. Romans 3:21-26 (KJV) 21BUT NOW the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 22Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 23For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 26To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
I do not know so much about semicolon (;) but I know that when a semicolon is used to join two or more ideas (parts) in a sentence, those ideas are then given equal position or rank. The writer introduced us to a new era with the first two words of Romans 3:21 ‘BUT NOW’ which connotes that there was a different happening before that time and verse 20 of this chapter caps the previous era. “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin”. Simply put, (vs 20) the law cannot justify any man no matter how hard and desperate he needs justification, but (21) now God has bestowed by God His righteousness on us independent of any law, a new system which the idea of law does not enter not even the Law of Moses which borne witnessed to it; (22) this new system-where man live as God on the effort of God- is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all that believe: as no matter your position, you access Grace by first believing: (23) because even the priest and the laity, the young and the old have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory because they could not be justified by the law as they could not keep it; (24) but have now being JUSTIFIED by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: (25) this Jesus who God set forth to reunited man to Himself through His blood to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are PAST, through the mercy of God: (26) so that anyone who puts on His righteousness by believing in Jesus is JUSTified because Jesus is the Justifier (explanation mine).
I did not see a part in this scripture that talked about us being sinners, however, I saw where it said that sin is PAST because of His blood for everyone who believes in Jesus.
If by Grace our sin is PAST, why then do we focus on the PAST (SIN) to prevent us from enjoying the promise and offer of Grace? Selah
