“9 What then? Are we any better off? Not at all! For we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin, 10 as it is written: There is no one righteous, not even one. 11 There is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. 12 All have turned away; all alike have become worthless. There is no one who does what is good, not even one. 13 Their throat is an open grave; they deceive with their tongues. Vipers’ venom is under their lips. 14 Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. 15 Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16 ruin and wretchedness are in their paths, 17 and the path of peace they have not known. 18 There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
In Monday’s devotional, Paul spoke to us about the advantage the Jewish people have because they were entrusted with the very words of God. Not to mention, Jesus first came to them before He went to the Gentiles. Yet, even in this, we saw that Israel ultimately rejected their Messiah and did not worship or acknowledge God for who He was or what He did for them.
Just as Paul condemned the unbelief of the Jewish community, today we’ll see that Paul wants to ensure that no one is left out of his condemnation. “What then? Are we any better off? Not at all! For we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin…” (v. 9) So far, Paul has not talked much about the justification that comes through faith in Jesus. He does this on purpose, with the intention of having the reader feel the full weight of their sin. Therefore, he first highlights the total depravity of all humankind. Without Christ, there is no hope for anyone. Paul’s message is clear: Without some outside righteous force acting on us, there is no hope for salvation among all of humankind, regardless of ethnic background. Verses 10-18 contain various Old Testament passages that illustrate the point that Paul is making. See Psalm 5:9, 10:7, 14:1-3, 36:1, 53:1-3, 140:3, Ecclesiastes 7:20, and Isaiah 59:7-8.
There is not a single person who is righteous on their own standing before God. This is why we must repent of our sins, confess, “Jesus is Lord”, and believe in His resurrection to be saved! We must have faith in an outside force who is perfectly righteous and is willing to take our punishment for our transgressions and is willing to give us their righteousness. Where could we ever find such a force? That is why it is so amazing that God in His grace and mercy has given His Son Jesus Christ as a sacrifice. Jesus is that perfect sacrifice for sin that we so desperately need. Jesus will transfer to us His perfect righteousness, to all who repent and believe in Him. What an amazing God we have. What an amazing Savior.
Yes indeed!!!!! What an amazing God we have and what an amazing Savior!!!!!