Romans 3:23 (KJV)

Passage

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Nearby Context

Romans 3:21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;

Romans 3:22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:

Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Romans 3:24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

Romans 3:25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "sinned", "come", "short", and "glory". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "sinned" and "come", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 22's "Even the righteousness of God which is..." into verse 24's "Being justified freely by his grace through...", so "sinned" and "come" belong inside that flow. In Romans context, the local focus is righteousness by faith, union with Christ, life in the Spirit, and God's covenant faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "sinned" and "come" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.