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All
Means All. No Exceptions.
Aren't
you an exceptional person! You're so cool and together. They love you at
the office. And the people at church, when you go, think you're a great
spouse and parent. Man, oh man, you've got it all! You tithe faithfully.
You contribute even more to worthy causes. You donate food and clothing
to a nearby homeless shelter. You volunteer your time to help out with
school activities. You even remember birthdays and anniversaries every
year and always give the perfect gifts. You are one terrific person! You're
a really good human being!
You're also full of sin!
If all we try to stand on are
the good things we do, we are lost and our souls are aimed for hell. On
the outside we can look like the "goodest" guy or gal in the world. Yet
if we have not laid ourselves on the line at the cross, taking God's unearned
grace into our lives, we are unclean, unworthy, and un-good.
True goodness--holiness--is found
only in the righteousness of God. Only by believing in Him by faith are
we saved. All the good stuff in the world won't get us to heaven without
faith in Christ and confession of the sins that plague us all.
When it comes to sin, no one
is exceptional. We've all sinned. We all need Him and His sweet forgiveness.
You can't buy yourself a shortcut to grace. There's only one way, and He--Jesus--is
it.
But now a righteousness from
God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets
testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ
to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall
short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through
the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. (Romans 3:21-24 NIV)
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