"All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Rom. 11:23). Here is a rule without an exception.
With one sweeping statement God levels all to a common platform. The religious and the irreligious, the noble and those of meaner birth, profligate and psalm-singing professor, prince and pauper, from the president in his palace to the convict in the prison, from the monarch on his throne to the menial in the kitchen, none are exempted from
THE "ALL" OF SIN."
I do not stop to ask how far you have come short, my reader, for that some are more deeply dyed in sins than others is most true.
But sins all have got, and you amongst the rest, and, having sinned, you have also come short of the glory of God.
Have you really found this out?
Isaiah the prophet had, when he said, "WOE is ME" (Isa. 6:5).
Job, the perfect and upright, confessed, "BEHOLD, I AM VILE" (Job 40:4).
Peter had to acknowledge — "I AM A SINFUL MAN" (Luke 5:8).
And Saul of Tarsus, the religious zealot, headed the list when he exclaimed, Of sinners, "I AM CHIEF" (1 Tim. 1:15).
I met a man the other day, in a small village in the backwoods of Canada, who told me that for years he had thought himself good enough for God.
One day he tried to recall all the good deeds he had ever done to assure himself that he had really merited God's favour; but to his dismay, though he thought, and thought, and thought, no good deeds could he remember. But his sins in black array crowded to his memory, and he found out, for the first time in his life, that he was a guilty, helpless sinner before God.
Sooner or later you will make the same discovery, friend; either now in God's day of grace, while the precious blood has cleansing power, or hereafter before the great white throne, when there will be nought but condemnation and the burning lake for you. But, thank God, though the first "all" places you without a doubt as a sinner before God, there is a second which is full of blessing —
THE "ALL" OF SALVATION.
It is this — "The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin" (1 John 1:7). Here is the only remedy, the God-provided one. You could bring no price to God by which to purchase exemption from wrath, for sins must meet with righteous judgment.
If this fall upon you it means an eternal hell.
Yet no salvation could be procured until this judgment was borne. It is evident then you could not procure redemption. "How then can a sinner be saved?" you ask.
Calvary answers that question. There I see the problem solved. The holy, spotless Lamb of God bears the judgment due to sinners.
Wrath which would have sunk us into the eternal gloom and woe of the pit fell upon Him there, and on that cross Jesus rendered satisfaction to all God's righteous claims; and having borne the judgment, and bowed His head in death, the blood flowed from His spear-riven side.
That blood can cleanse. It is no use for you to seek remission of sins in any other way, for God says, "WITHOUT SHEDDING OF BLOOD IS NO REMISSION" (Heb. 9:22).
The work is done, the blood is shed, and faith in that wondrous work and precious blood will save you.
Yea, were all the transgressions from Adam's sin downwards laid at your charge, the blood would have power to cleanse EVEN YOU!
Cease then, friend, to seek salvation by other means, "For there is NONE OTHER NAME UNDER HEAVEN GIVEN AMONG MEN, WHEREBY WE MUST BE SAVED" (Acts 4:12).
Talk not of your doings; for Jesus said, "IT IS FINISHED".
Be not so presumptuous as to imagine that your best is fit for God, for He says, "THERE IS NONE THAT DOETH GOOD" (Rom. 3:12), and "ALL OUR RIGHTEOUSNESSES ARE AS FILTHY RAGS" (Isa. 64:6).
That is God's estimate of your righteousnesses. You may give them another name, and proudly speak of them as good works, but God is the Judge in this matter. It is at His bar you have to stand, and let Him be true, and every man a liar.
No, your righteousnesses are worse than naught. It is "TO HIM THAT WORKETH NOT, BUT BELIEVETH ON HIM THAT JUSTIFIETH THE UNGODLY, HIS FAITH IS COUNTED FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS" (Rom. 4:5).
Then be no longer amongst that company who, "being ignorant of GOD'S RIGHTEOUSNESS, and going about to establish THEIR OWN righteousness, have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God" (Rom. 10:3); but come as a poor, guilty, helpless sinner, trusting in Jesus alone, and be assured that "by Him all that believe are justified from ALL things" (Acts 13:39).
May this full, free, and eternal justification be yours.