Right with God

Today's Scripture: Romans 3:12
"No one does good, not even one."

Read it online at the Bible Gateway: (NIV) (NASB) (KJV) (The Message)

In a recent runaway bestseller, the author stated, "There is only one question which really matters: Why do bad things happen to good people? All other theological conversation is intellectually diverting."

Setting aside the issue of whether only one question really matters, the Bible tells us that in light of eternity, the most important question we all face is how a sinful man or woman can come into a right relationship with an infinitely holy and just God. After all, Jesus said, "What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?" (Mark 8:36, NIV). Suppose a person lives his entire life experiencing nothing but prosperity and happiness, yet dies without a right relationship with God. What has he gained? Actually, he has lost everything.

Because God himself is perfectly righteous and cannot look with favor on any unrighteousness, the only way we can have a right relationship with him is to be perfectly righteous, as he is. But that's our problem, for, as Paul wrote, "There is no one righteous, not even one" (Romans 3:10, NIV).

What are we to do? Try harder? That won't help because, as Paul observed, "no one will be declared righteous in [God's] sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin" (Romans 3:20, NIV). Regardless of how hard we try, we'll never attain the perfect righteousness God will accept.

So the question remains: how may we attain a right relationship with God? Happily, Paul answered it. After describing our predicament in Romans 3:20, he announced that God has provided a solution: "The righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law . . . the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe" (verses 21-22). (Excerpt taken from The Gospel for Real Life)