“What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin. As it is written:
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.“
Romans 3:9-12
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If we peek back to the earlier pages of Paul’s letter to the Romans, we find that he is exploring an astonishing idea: the family of God has indeed been opened to the Gentiles. The righteousness of God is not limited only to the Jews, as previously believed before “the good news” of Jesus.
Paul’s exploration of this idea is quite lengthy, and takes up much of Acts and the Epistles; it can be challenging to dip into one section and understand the whole. Yet it is good news indeed: in Jesus, we are all invited into the family of God.
In today’s passage, we join Paul in mid thought: “Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin.” The quote that follows from Psalm 14:3 is repeated again in Psalm 53:3, “All have turned away, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.”
This “bad news” was true in the days of David as recorded in the Psalms, in the time of Paul writing his epistle to the Romans, and is still the case today. The Bible speaks the truth. If we are truly honest with ourselves, we have to conclude in our heart of hearts, “there is no one righteous” —including me.
The condition of our world confirms this conclusion. Our willingness to mistreat each other—as recorded in history and witnessed today in the news and in our own relationships—is proof that we “have together become corrupt.” Our nation is crumbling under the weight of selfishness and greed. Sin is supported politically and celebrated in the media. It is destroying children and marriages.
The irony is that, in context of Paul’s letter, this is good news. We are all in the same camp! “What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all!” Yes, the new believers in Rome—both Jew and Gentile—could and must learn to come together as one under Christ. Neither group had a monopoly on God’s grace and goodness.
Today, may we believers in Christ be the humblest individuals in the world. May we solemnly acknowledge the bottomless depth of our sin and the futility of our self-justification. This is the beginning of our redemption.
Questions for reflection and discussion:
- In the context of Paul’s letter, how is this “bad news” actually good news for us as believers in Jesus?
- How should honest self-examination affect our attitude toward those with whom we struggle?
- Why is comparison of ourselves with others so deceptive and destructive?
Church Reading Plan: Job 27; 1 Corinthians 13