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Romans 3:23
Sin and Human Need
Romans 3:23
for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;
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Why it is worth knowing
- “All” leaves no exceptions: both moral and immoral, religious and irreligious
- To “fall short” means to miss the target: our lives fail to reflect God’s glory
- This verse is the diagnosis before the remedy of Romans 3:24-26
- Recognizing universal sin removes all grounds for comparison or pride
Where it sits: Romans 3:21-26
But now apart from the law, a righteousness of God has been revealed, being testified by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ to all and on all those who believe. For there is no distinction, 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 sent to be an atoning sacrifice through faith in his blood, for a demonstration of his righteousness through the passing over of prior sins, in God’s forbearance; to demonstrate his righteousness at this present time, that he might himself be just and the justifier of him who has faith in Jesus.
Hear the passage it sits in, sung word for word, on BibleDo's Romans page.
Background
Romans 3 is the climax of Paul’s systematic argument that all of humanity (both Jews and Gentiles) stand equally guilty before God. But the chapter does not end there. Romans 3:21 introduces a great turning point: “But now...” The bad news of verse 23 is immediately followed by the extraordinary news of justification by grace through Christ. The diagnosis is meant to prepare us for the cure.