If favor with God were dependent upon us as individuals, we all fall short because we break God's Law. Relying upon our effort to achieve God's approval leads to a false sense of security. We think we are safe because God either pre-approves us because we are good or approves of us now that we've earned his favor. In this passage, Paul shows us how even our best efforts apart from Christ not only fall short but actually serve to dishonor the name of God!