“Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.” - Romans 3:19
This may seem like an odd illustration, but consider this: Let’s say that you are under water and you can’t breathe. Is there any reason to boast that you are drowning in only two feet of water as opposed to ten feet? Does it matter that you are closer to the surface while there are those beneath you?
As we have seen (and will continue to see), Paul is reminding the Jewish people that for anyone who is assessing themselves by comparing their level of sinfulness to that of others, it is still deadly. We cannot assume that we aren’t so bad because there are others who are far worse sinners. We need to check our own hearts according to God’s standards.
When you’re drowning, if your main focus is whether you are closer to the surface than others, you might miss what you need in order to be saved. The only thing you really need is to get out of the water and breathe again. But because we are unable to save ourselves, we need someone who will pull us up out of the water.
As we gather together this week, Romans 3:1-20 will give us one more “heaping helping” of the bad news before we get to the good news. But oh, how glorious that good news will be! Yet even in the bad news, we are reminded that God is faithful, even when we are unfaithful.
As God has been moving powerfully in the life of WEPC, please keep spreading the news and inviting your friends and neighbors to join this movement of seeking to bring joy to our city and world!
Grace & Peace,
Pastor Aaron
This may seem like an odd illustration, but consider this: Let’s say that you are under water and you can’t breathe. Is there any reason to boast that you are drowning in only two feet of water as opposed to ten feet? Does it matter that you are closer to the surface while there are those beneath you?
As we have seen (and will continue to see), Paul is reminding the Jewish people that for anyone who is assessing themselves by comparing their level of sinfulness to that of others, it is still deadly. We cannot assume that we aren’t so bad because there are others who are far worse sinners. We need to check our own hearts according to God’s standards.
When you’re drowning, if your main focus is whether you are closer to the surface than others, you might miss what you need in order to be saved. The only thing you really need is to get out of the water and breathe again. But because we are unable to save ourselves, we need someone who will pull us up out of the water.
As we gather together this week, Romans 3:1-20 will give us one more “heaping helping” of the bad news before we get to the good news. But oh, how glorious that good news will be! Yet even in the bad news, we are reminded that God is faithful, even when we are unfaithful.
As God has been moving powerfully in the life of WEPC, please keep spreading the news and inviting your friends and neighbors to join this movement of seeking to bring joy to our city and world!
Grace & Peace,
Pastor Aaron
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