The Bible has several ways of presenting the nature and seriousness of sin. One is the idea of “missing the mark,” which suggests a target that should be hit or reached. The mark or target is nothing less than godliness in thought and action.
The indictment of Romans 3:23 stands against every person when it says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
The truth about the target was also expressed in what Jesus admonished in the Sermon on the Mount when He set the mark beyond our natural reach: “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect” (Matt. 5:48). Little wonder that we mortals are all guilty of sin!
Failure to even aim at the target makes missing it inevitable. As James 4:17 says, “To him who knows to do good, and does not do it, to him it is sin.”
On the other hand it is possible for people to live and die having never known what the target is that God set. Herein lies one of the great motivations for missionary outreach and evangelistic strategies. The logic of Romans 10:13–14 never passes away when it says, “Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?”
For those who have heard and thus possess a knowledge of the target, the imagery of missing it presents several additional insights concerning sin. A person might miss the intended target by aiming at an alternative. Rather than aiming at likeness to God or godliness, some might find themselves aiming at targets such as fitting in with human expectations or approval. One might be guilty of seeking acclaim, popularity or acceptance with the crowd, when the biblical target of God’s glory gets displaced by such alternative goals.
Professing Christians who are comfortable with unconfessed and uncleansed sin raise serious doubt about the genuineness of their profession of faith — becoming acclimated to missing the target casts doubts on the reality of that faith. One who has not been born again and indwelt by the Holy Spirit will not likely be overly concerned about the target.
On the other hand a genuine Christian might miss the target of godlikeness simply through inconsistency in private devotional life. Consistent exposure to God’s Word is indispensable to staying on target. Fellowship with other believers also can be an important boost to keeping focused on the right target.
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