Missing The Mark
There is nothing more frustrating than to miss an appointment, fall short of a desired goal or missing the mark of excellence. Life is full of missed opportunities.
The Bible tells us that we, all of humanity, have missed the mark. It uses the phrase, “Come Short” Here’s the full scripture…
“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” Romans 3:23 kjv
The glory of God is our goal, our mark, our destiny. This was God’s will from the beginning. He created us to be on his level and to walk in his presence which is his glory.
The first man, Adam, which was a prototype of sorts, decided to go against God to do his own thing. As the Bible says, he lost the Spirit of God within him, referred to in Genesis as,” The Breath of Life”, and was thrown out of God’s glory. Romans chapter five tells us all about it and what happened as a result. Read it for yourself.
“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come. Romans 5:12-14
Adam was innocent until he sinned. He then became a sinner and it changed him. Instead of having the character of God within his soul, thus being like God in holiness, he became like Satan…His character became evil and rebellious. This character trait is what passed on to his descendants. We all now miss the mark of being like God in character and personality. We, as the Bible says, “Fall or Come Short.”
We fall short because now it is impossible to continually experience God’s Glory. Our lives are full of pride, jealousy, hate, adultery, fornication or sex before marriage, gossip and a lot of other evil thoughts and feelings. We all try to hide what is in us but every now and then, or for some, all the time, the “Beast Within” comes out with a remark or action that is not Godly. Our righteousness just doesn’t stand up to God’s. Listen to the scriptures again.
A statement in Isaiah 64:6: “all our righteousness are as filthy rags” (KJV), or “all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment” (ESV) The best we can do or be is just not good enough. We continually miss the mark. We come short of our divine destiny. That’s why we need to receive Jesus as our savior and be, “Born Again,” this time by the Spirit of the living God. The 1st time was by water in a natural birth. The 2nd birth is by the Spirit through faith in Jesus Christ and his death on the cross and resurrection from the dead. He lived the life we could not live because of sin. But Jesus was without sin. He died the death that we should have died as the penalty for sin. The Bible, again says, “The soul that sinneth, it shall die.”
When we put our trust in Jesus, we are acknowledging that we have indeed missed the mark of God’s Glory and want to be as God originally created us. We desire his will and seek to walk in his presence or Glory. We are accepted in Jesus by God, the Father.
Check out John 3:16. It says, “For God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten son that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” We qualify as a “Whosoever” and the eternal life spoken of here in John 3:16 is Jesus.
So, as I see it, there are two choices in life: 1.) to reject the free gift of God and perish or 2.) to receive Jesus, the free gift and not perish but live in him and with him forever. No longer do we have to miss the mark.
This may cause some to question so I will raise some questions and attempt to answer them.
1.You may think… ”I am a good person. I don’t intentionally try to hurt anyone or lie or cheat. I even go to church now and then. God will accept me because of my good works, right? Wrong! God will accept you because Jesus paid your debt. He died in your place and lived in your stead. Your faith in him gets you into the glory of God.
Note: Good folks dies and go to hell every day because they reject the free gift of salvation provided by God. Not only did they reject God’s plan of salvation but the also rejected God’s will for them. They did not want the righteousness of God. Instead, they chose their own righteousness as the basis for their redemption.
2.You may also think…I belong to a church and my membership along with my record of financial support will keep me in the good graces of God. Wrong! When Jesus said, “Whosoever” as recorded in John 3:16, he did not speak of a true church or denominational tie. Salvation comes through faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross.
Note: Listen to what the scriptures say… ”For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: [9] Not of works, lest any man should boast. [10] For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:8-10
3.You may be thinking…”I am too far gone” I have participated in too many evil acts or things that I am now ashamed of. Who among us hasn’t? We all are slaves to a sinful nature and that leads us to many strange places.
Note: The best thing about God is that he is a God of forgiveness. Hear what he says in the scriptures…..”Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow” Isaiah 1:18..
I missed the mark for many years until I realized that the mark can never be obtained by being good, doing good or following a certain pastor, church or religion. I had to personally receive Jesus as my savior and trust in him to actually redeem me from my own sinful self. I repented before the thrown of God in prayer and decided to follow Jesus from that day on. It’s been more than 60-years and I am still going strong.
It’s been a bumpy road with a lot of ups and downs, but he never left me. He is still here to be sure I make it through. God is no respecter of persons. That is to say, he treats everyone equally. If he will do all of this for me, he will also do it for you. You just need to ask.
Now, tell me or better yet, tell yourself. Are you still missing the mark? Are you still falling short of God’s Glory? It is never too late to make Jesus your Lord and Savior. Do it now while it’s on your mind.
Until Next Time
John Marinelli
Marineellichristianbooks.com
Johnmarinelli@embarqmail.com
352-687-1776