Romans 3:9-20

Romans 3:9-20
English Standard Version (ESV)

 When I compare myself to certain people, I look like I'm doing pretty good at life.  When I read the newspaper or see the news and read about some of the terrible choices people make, I start to feel like I have it all together.  Surely, I think, God must be a pretty big fan of me, because compared to some others, I'm looking pretty good.  If I can just not mess up too badly, by default I might even make my way into the top half!
  Of course, that's not how it works.  No one, Paul tells us, is righteous.  Not even one.  We have all fallen short of the glory of God, choosing one type of sin or another.  Some of these sins may not seem as severe in our eyes, but they all separate us from God, be it envy or pride or lust or some other form of idolatry.  Each leads to death.
  But God intervenes!  In his great grace, we are saved by Christ Jesus on the cross.  There is hope, for the best and the worst of us, through our merciful Savior Jesus Christ.  All deserve death.  Christ, in his great mercy, reaches out to all and offers life and forgiveness and hope!