What’s Your Target?

Scripture:

Rom. 3:9    What then? Are we any better off? No, not at all; for we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under the power of sin, ¹⁰ as it is written:

“There is no one who is righteous, not even one;

¹¹ there is no one who has understanding,

there is no one who seeks God.

¹² All have turned aside, together they have become worthless;

there is no one who shows kindness,

there is not even one.”

¹³ “Their throats are opened graves;

they use their tongues to deceive.”

“The venom of vipers is under their lips.”

¹⁴ “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”

¹⁵ “Their feet are swift to shed blood;

¹⁶ ruin and misery are in their paths,

¹⁷ and the way of peace they have not known.”

¹⁸ “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

Rom. 3:19   Now we know that whatever the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. ²⁰ For “no human being will be justified in his sight” by deeds prescribed by the law, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin.

Observation:

Everyone is under the power of sin. The Jews who thought that they were righteous just because of their birthright, were under the power of sin, as well as the Greeks who thought they were moral under their own convictions. Everyone could pontificate on their own status before God, or their gods, but what they failed to see was that sin had gripped them all. 

Paul then puts together, like a string of pearls, a number of sayings from the Old Testament. The Jews would have immediately recognized these texts and the context in which they were delivered. For the Gentiles, who were just coming to faith, they may not have had an immediate understanding, but there is a message that is clear. Humanity, in the flesh, continues to engage in sinful acts which are not pleasing to God.

God’s intention is that all of humanity will be held accountable before God, whether through the Law, or natural law. Why? Because humans are not God, and are not capable of self justification. The more we get to know God, the more we become aware of sin. Edlin and Modine tell us, “ What humans need is more than forgiveness. They need a superior power to break in and set people free from sin” (NBBC). They go on to speak of Wesley’s understanding of sin. “ But we ‘miss the mark,’ says Wesley, not because we are poor marksmen but because we choose the wrong mark and hit it squarely—sin is turning from God, our ‘last end,’ to self, our false end (Wesley 1979, 9:456)” (NBBC). 

Paul is very clear in his preaching, not mincing words. We read in Acts 20:27, “For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God” (NRSV). Paul will unpack that further as we continue, but he’s laying the groundwork for a life of faith that is radically transformed and in which the target becomes Christ. 

Application:

It’s an interesting thought that sin is not just “missing the mark,” but actually aiming at the wrong target! That’s not just a mistake, or a shot that’s a little off-center, but it’s willful shooting at something else. Whether they were Jews or Gentiles, Paul knew that there were those who were off-target. The same could be said today for those who claim to be followers Jesus Christ — they may be aiming at the wrong target. 

Years ago I was studying Gregory of Nyssa’s Commentary on the Song of Songs and I discovered something very fascinating. He talks about the arrow that pierces the heart of the woman. She is wounded, but discovers that she is wounded by love. The love of God is like an arrow that pierces our heart. Yes, it is a wound because sometimes it takes painful recognition that we are headed in the wrong direction to turn us around. Nyssen goes on to say that after she has been pierced the archer then comes and lovingly lifts her head and her entire focus changes as she gazes on the one who loves her. Now, the all encompassing desire for her life is her lover, and him alone. That’s what Christ desires for us — for when we have been wounded by his delicious love — we are healed from the inside out and the target of life changes. All we desire is to know Christ, love him and be known by him. He becomes the target of all things. Yes, we may miss the mark from time to time, but we are still aiming at the right target. 

It’s easy to allow new targets to encroach on our lives. It may be the next job that we want to get. The person with whom we want a relationship. The social group that we want to hang out with and the things that they do. We want acceptance and recognition. And all of these mean that we acquire a new target. We aren’t just missing the mark — but we are now shooting in a new direction. This happens to Christians and non-Christians alike, and that was Paul’s concern. Just because we call ourselves Christians doesn’t mean that we aren’t shooting at the wrong target. We can say we are Christians and still live in sin, and for this we will be held accountable. 

Don’t be fooled into believing there is no sin. It’s not a popular conversation these days, but sin is just as real as it’s ever been, only the deceiver and the world would like us to ignore that fact. Draw near to Christ and allow the knowledge of God to so fill you that will begin to clearly identify that which is sin, and that which is not. Then, we work out our salvation by intentionally keeping our eyes on the target — one day at a time. 

Prayer:

Lord, I’m sorry for the days when my eyes veer from the target. Please, help me to actively seek you day after day. Amen.