9 Well then, should we conclude that we Jews are better than others? No, not at all, for we have already shown that all people, whether Jews or Gentiles, are under the power of sin. 10 As the Scriptures say,“No one is righteous—not even one.
11 No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God.
12 All have turned away; all have become useless.
No one does good, not a single one.”
13 “Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave.
Their tongues are filled with lies.”
“Snake venom drips from their lips.”
14 “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”
15 “They rush to commit murder.
16 Destruction and misery always follow them.
17 They don’t know where to find peace.”
18 “They have no fear of God at all.”19 Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God. 20 For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.
No One Is Righteous
This is one of the most famous passages in the Bible. Most Christians have read, and quoted, verse 10: No one is righteous – not even one. However, what most don’t know is that Paul was actually quoting from the Old Testament. He’s quoting a portion of Psalm 14. Actually, each sentence in Paul’s passage is a direct reference to an Old Testament passage. I don’t have time to list them all, but a good study Bible will show you where each verse is found.
Psalm 14 begins by saying that only a fool believes there is no God. It then goes on to suggest that God looked over the world for someone who was seeking him. For someone who was truly wise, and instead, he found humanity was only looking out for themselves. People were focused on their own selfishness. No one was wise. No was was good.
But wait a minute! You might respond. I’m not THAT bad of a person. I’m pretty good.
I’m sure you are. But, look at the different verses that Paul quotes in this passage. Are you guilty of any of these things? Have you ever lied? Have you ever hurt someone else’s feelings with your words or your actions? Are you bitter toward anyone? Do you become angry with those who disagree with you? If you answer yes to any of these (I know I d0), then you’re guilty. You’re not good enough on your own.
But it’s not bad news. Not if we finally get to the point of accepting the truth: we simply cannot be good enough on our own. We need God. Without him, we fail at being righteous.
That’s tomorrow’s message.
My prayer: Lord, I admit it: I’m a sinful man. I am guilty of all of these things and so much more. It is foolish of me to try and boast of my goodness. Because it’s a facade. It hides the sinfulness that can be found below the surface. Without you, I am doomed to a life of wrong. I need you. I need your righteousness to be applied to my life. Today, as I meet and interact with others, help me to not point fingers at their behaviour. Instead, may my thoughts be on my own choices. And my own need of you. Amen.
Until tomorrow.
