Besmirched

"No flesh will be justified before him from works of law," Romans 3:20.

Not a single human being gets right with God on the basis of doing what God's law says. Not in the face of God. Why not? because God's law has this effect on humans, sinners all: it brings knowledge of their sin. Awareness of our slop. Right. It shows that every last one of us looking up from the mud has missed far short of God's shine. So, instead of watching us drown in our mess, God gives, as a free gift to every human being, the right to stand in front of him, in right standing with him. Clean. By his generosity. By his grace. But how can he do this without being besmirched by our slop? Jesus' blood, his pure sacrifice, bought the complete cleansing that we receive by faith in him. God's always right. God makes us right.

We stand with a brother or sister today, justified!, in the presence of God through faith in Jesus. And, together, we praise God from whom all blessings flow. For ever and ever!