“No One is Righteous”

Bible Study: Romans

After successfully demolishing all the probable arguments by a Jew, why they should be considered special in God’s view, Paul declares that Jews and Gentiles both are under sin.

In Chapter 3, from verses 10 to 18, by quoting many verses from the Old Testament, Paul tries to pin his arguments to conclude that all, both the Jew and the Gentile, are guilty before God.

Are the Jews any better than the Gentiles? Paul categorically answers, ‘Not at all!’ in verse 9. A Jew has no advantage just because he has the Law and circumcision. This, Paul has laboured to establish in chapter 2:12-28. So, the conclusion to which all these debates point out is that ‘Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin.’

The first quotation, in verses 9-12, which Paul chooses to support his aforementioned conclusion is,

“There is no one righteous, not even one;

there is no one who understands,

no one who seeks God.  

All have turned away,

They have together become worthless;

There is no one who does good,

Not even one!”

This passage has been taken from Psalm 14:1-3. However, Paul quotes, may be from memory, mostly from Septuagint version of the Old Testament, giving a free rendition. The same verses are repeated in Psalm 53:1-3 also. In both the places David, the Psalmist, talks about the fool who thinks that there is no God and acts also as if there is no God. The general trend in the world is, such people are corrupt and their actions vile, and altogether there seems to be no one who does good.

The murky politics that is outplaying presently in Tamil Nadu, where a leader dies, and within weeks her companion corners all her wealth and claims the seat of the Chief Minister. This sinister design is condemned by the people, who had given their vote to the departed ruler and not to the sinister gang of the lady-in-waiting or the 117 MLAs who stood by her, just because the corrupt money has passed hands.

The lady herself lost the probability of becoming the Chief Minister, as she was indicted by the law of the land in a corruption case and was consigned to jail. A show of wickedness to the extreme in political corruption. May be the Psalmist and even Paul had something like this in mind.  

The Lord looks down from heaven to see if there is anyone among human beings, who understands what is expected of him by God, and seek God, but He found no one. Didn’t Jesus say, “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will begiven to you as well.” Matthew 6:33. But, sadly God could find no such person who would seek Him and do good.

The Psalmist further states, all have turned aside and they have become altogether corrupt. “There is no one who does good, not even one.” Unfortunately, each age has its own corruption. I suppose, it was the corruption during the time of Noah that kindled the wrath of God and the world was destroyed by flood. It was moral turpitude that caused brimstone and fire to rain from heaven and destroy Sodom and Gomorrah.

David has seen corruption in his days. Paul witnessed corruption under the rule of Romans. And now we see it in everyday life and in the form of political corruption.

No human being could ever be totally pure and good in the eyes of God. That is what Paul is trying to drive in. King Solomon beautifully expresses this concept in Ecclesiastes 7:20, “There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins.” No human being except Jesus who walked on earth could claim that he or she is without sin. All are sinners in the eyes of God and in need of a Saviour.

The next quote in verse 13 is from Psalm 5:9. Here David is describing his enemies, whose words cannot be trusted and whose throat is an open grave and whose tongues speak deceit. Paul quotes partly from Psalm 140:3, where David is seeking protection from slanderous people whose “tongues are as sharp as a serpent’s; the poison of vipers is on their lips.”

Not only are the evil people’s throats like open graves, ready to swallow people alive, but with their tongue they practice deceit and to cheat and swindle people. Their lips are so poisonous, that no good words come from them. Cursing and bitter accusations are common to human beings. It is James who calls the tongue as the fire that can set a forest on fire and calls it a restless evil and a deadly poison. James 3:5-6, 8. 

    

Paul calls the mouths of evil persons as being full of cursing and bitterness, in verse 14. It reminisces Psalm 10:7. Writing about the wicked people, David says, “His mouth is full of curses and lies and threats; trouble and evil are under his tongue.” James admonishes “Out of the same mouth comes praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be.” James 3:10.  

Describing the evil deeds of the people in general, Paul goes on to say in verses 15-17 that ‘their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know.’ Paul is voicing the concern found in Isaiah 59:7,8.

“Their feet rush into sin; they are swift to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts are evil thoughts; ruin and destruction mark their ways. The way of peace they do not know;”

Murder for money and gain, rape and murder are so common in today’s world. Such sin is not the monopoly of non-Christian, but Christians too indulge in these nefarious activities. People are being displaced from their homes and land due to wars that ravage their countries. Millions of Syrians have been driven from their homes as refugees. Millions of girls are sold into sex trade without their consent. Why is evil plaguing human beings in so many forms? Why is such destruction and misery and blood shed on earth?

We sin against God because, there is no fear of God. That is Paul’s conclusion too in verse 18. Psalm 36:1 is being quoted here. “Sinfulness of the wicked,” is because “there is no fear of God before his eyes.” When men imagine, they are the masters of their fate and there is no God to whom they are accountable, then evil becomes redoubled. There is no end to it.

Paul finishes the authentication of his argument by these quotes and pronounces the verdict that the Law gives its commandments to those who are under the Law, the Jews, who like their counterparts, the Gentiles are accountable to God for all their evil deeds. Neither the law or conscience can save us. Verse 19. We are all guilty before God and will stand before His judgment throne on the final day, to give account for our deeds. Revelation 20:11-13.

No one will be declared righteous in the sight of God based on the observance of the Law. Law’s only effect is that we become conscious of sin through it. Verse 20. By our own efforts, we will not be able to please God or be declared righteous on the judgment day.

Only the work done by Christ on the cross will absolve us from our sins and wash away the stains of sin, that too only if we have faith in Christ and his work. Nothing else will save us.

Points to Ponder:

1.    Can we consider ourselves without sin and righteous on our own merits?

2.    Are we free from the evils of misuse of our tongues to curse and be bitter about others?

3.    Do we practice deceit?

4.    Are we prone to peace or conflict with each other?

5.    Do we fear God in our day to day activities?