What was the whole point of the Hebrew Scriptures? Why the Old Testament? Why have the patriarchs? Why have Israel? Why have the promises? What was the value? What was the point? Have you ever wondered these things? Why not just start in the Gospel of Matthew and go from there? This is where Romans 3 begins. What was the point of Israel, what advantage was there in being a Jew, and what was the benefit of circumcision if those who belong to God are those who have the law written on their hearts leading them to do God’s will (cf. Romans 2:25-29; 2:15)? Paul appears to begin to answer this in chapter 3 but a fuller answer is given in chapter 9. What Paul lays out in this section of Romans 3 are two key teachings. Two of the purposes for Israel, the patriarchs, and the promises were to teach us something about God and something about ourselves.
Let God Be True (3:1-8)
One of the important messages of the Scriptures that is exemplified through Israel’s history is that God is always true and faithful, regardless of what anyone else ever said or did. As you read about Israel’s history, one of the key points that every reader must see is God’s extraordinary faithfulness to the people. This is the thrust of the question in Romans 3:3. Does the people’s unfaithfulness nullify the faithfulness of God? The answer is absolutely not. God is always be proven to be true. In fact, the place of the quotation in verse 4 is very telling. The quotation comes from Psalm 51 where David is in the midst of confessing his sins to God. But God remained faithful to David and, in particular, his promises to David even though David had sinned. Nothing we do nullifies God’s truthfulness. This leads us to a really important conclusion.
Our unfaithfulness does not change God’s truth. We live in a time right now when many are trying to change God’s truth. Many want to change God’s truth about sexuality. Many want to change God’s truth about marriage and divorce. Many want to change God’s truth on adultery and remarriage. Many want to change God’s truth about salvation. But here is the real issue. Our lies do not change God’s truth. This is what Paul is saying in verse 4. Even if everyone is found to be a liar, God will still be true. Even if everyone is found to be unfaithful, God will still be faithful. To state this another way, truth is not voted on or determined by public opinion. We do not get to change truth. Our opinions or actions do not change anything about what God has said. We can resist gravity but gravity is still true. We can vote against gravity but gravity is still true. We can all argue against gravity but gravity is still true. We can resist God and his ways, vote against God and his ways, and argue against God and his ways and God will still be found true. We think if we do not like something God has said or if we reject what he has said that this will change the truth of God’s word. Nothing changes the truth of God’s word. Our unfaithfulness does not change anything about God, God’s character, or God’s word.
Before we look at the second point, I want us to observe an objection that Paul addresses in verse 5 because it says something about God. Notice in verse 5 that Paul observes that our unrighteousness shows the righteousness of God all the more. This is something that we must be impressed and overwhelmed by every moment. God’s constant faithfulness to you is all the more amazing when we consider our own unfaithfulness. God’s constant righteousness to all the peoples on earth is all the more impressive when we consider the unrighteousness of every person on earth. Our unrighteousness puts on display the staggering righteousness of God (Romans 3:5). But our wicked ways showing God’s goodness does not mean we will not be judged for our sins (Romans 3:6-8).
No One Is Righteous (3:9-20)
But this leads us to an important second truth that is critical for all to understand and believe. There is no one who is righteous (Romans 3:9). I asked at the beginning of the message what was the reason for Israel, the law, the patriarchs, and the promises. This is another important purpose for all of that recorded history of God’s dealing with people. No one is righteous. Even those who received the Law of Moses or saw the parting of the Red Sea, or saw the walls of Jericho fall, or lived under the reign of David, or received God’s prophets were not righteous. Even with all those advantages no one was righteous. We would like to think that we would be different if we saw or heard the things that they saw and heard. But we would not. Whether you had the advantages that the people of Israel had or not, all are under the power of sin and enslaved to it (Romans 3:9).
If you will look carefully at verses 10-18 you will see that the apostle Paul quotes from a number of Old Testament scriptures to prove that no one is righteous. Being under the power of sin is not a new problem but the problem of all humanity for all ages. The quotations are placed together here to show the extensiveness of our sin condition. In verse 10 we are told our status before God. There is no one who is righteous. Then it is emphasized: “No, not one.” So how extensive is the problem? In verse 11 we see that our minds and our desires are under the power of sin. “No one understands. No one seeks for God.” People do not understand God through their own means of logic and wisdom. The apostle Paul would tell the Corinthians that the world did not know God through human wisdom (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:21). God has made the wisdom of the world foolish (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:20). Our understanding and knowledge does not get us to the righteousness of God. Further, our motives and desires are corrupted. No one seeks for God. No one has made every decision in their lives with the motivation for seeking God. No one always desires to draw close to God. This is what we see in verse 12 where even our will is condemned. “All have turned away” from the path the Lord has prescribed. No one has always followed God’s ways. Listen to the rest of verse 12 which are words that are to hit us hard. “Together they have become worthless. No one does good, not even one.” We probably want to resist and argue with this idea. We do not want to think that being under the power of sin has made us worthless. We do not want to admit that we cannot do good without God. We have ruined ourselves because of our sins. We are not okay on our own without God. Now it seems like Paul knows we are going to argue with this quotation that all of us together have become worthless and there is not a single person who does good. So Paul will quote more scriptures to prove it.
Look at verses 13-14 because this is an easy place to see our problem. Paul says that we need to do is look at our mouths. “Their throat is an open grave. They use their tongues to deceive. The venom of asps is under their lips. Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.” Everyone has said something that was venom, hurting the person you were speaking to or speaking about. Everyone has said words that were not godly. Everyone has said words that are bitter and detrimental. Everyone has said things that are deceptive. No one can avoid condemnation when they look at their tongues. No one does good, not even one. Paul continues this angle of thought by talking about how we are condemned in our relationships with others. Look at verses 15-17. “Their feet are swift to shed blood. In their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known.” When Jesus wanted to draw attention to the fact that we fall way short in our relationships with others, he told the lawyer to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:27). No one has done this. We have not created the way of peace with all people. Instead, we have caused misery and ruin. We have not only said things that harm others but we have done things that harm others. Looking at our relationships and interactions with others show that there is no one who does good, not even one.
But let’s get to the heart of the matter in verse 18. “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” This is the key issue. We have not done what is right before God. No one has revered God and lived before him in obedience. Paul has simply used the scriptures and quoted them to show there is no one who is righteous. Our problem when we think about if we are good or righteous is we look at something that we think we have done that is good or right, failing to consider all the things we did not do that was good or right. Further, even what we might do that is right does not measure up to the standard of God’s righteousness.
Your “Goodness” Is Not Enough
So what conclusion does Paul wants us to draw? Look at Romans 3:19. The point is that all people, even if they had the law of God, have their mouths closed. The point is to see that the whole world is accountable to God. No one through the works of the law will be justified in the sight of God (Romans 3:20). No one can stand before God and list off some activities and think that it is enough to be justified before God. Let me say it like this because this is such an important truth: your “goodness” is not enough. I think if we were to take a poll of humanity that most, if not all, people would say that they are good. Whether we are religious or not, people think that they are good. Right now this is a real problem because people think they will not be accountable to God because they are good people. Every funeral proclaims that the deceased is good enough to be in heaven. I have never been to a funeral where the people stood up and proclaimed what an evil person the deceased was and how they are definitely burning in hell right now. Rather, every person thinks they are good enough. Paul’s point is that no one is good enough. The history of Israel shows that even if you had God’s law and God’s blessings, you still are not good enough. There is no one who is righteous before God.
Look at the end of verse 20. “…since through the law comes knowledge of sin.” God’s law was not given so that you would think you are doing a great job fulfilling it. The Law of Moses was not given to Israel so that the people would think that they are righteous. All of God’s laws that have been given have a purpose of giving us the knowledge of sin. We are given the knowledge of sin objectively. God tells us what is truth. God tells us what is right and what is wrong. God defines what is evil and what is righteous. But we are also given the knowledge of sin experientially. God’s laws show us that we are not what God expects us to be. Jesus was constantly teaching this truth. The fifth chapter of Matthew, which is the start of the Sermon on the Mount, is Jesus showing how the people had lowered God’s standard and failed to see their inadequacy and sinfulness. They taught to love your neighbor and hate your enemy (cf. Matthew 5:43). But Jesus says that this was not the standard. The standard was to love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you (cf. Matthew 5:44). Jesus had this interaction in Matthew 19:16-30 and Luke 10:25-37 where people came to Jesus wanting to know what they can do for eternal life. Another instance is in Luke 18:18-30 asking the same question. Jesus said back to the rich ruler, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone” (Luke 18:19). In this we are again seeing Paul’s first point. God’s truth does not change and our efforts to lower the standard does not change the standard.
The function of the law is so that all people will close their mouths and realize that you are condemned before God. When Paul said in Romans 1:18 that the wrath of God has been revealed against all ungodliness and all unrighteousness, he did not mean the people “out there” but you too. You are included because there is no one who is righteous and no one who does good. You are not good enough. You cannot be good enough. If you try to come to God by your righteousness, God simply responds by showing you where you fell short. You are to see God’s law and cry out, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” (Luke 18:13). Salvation starts here. We must see that our righteousness and our goodness is not enough. No one can be justified before God by their works, no matter which works you point to in your life. You need Jesus. You need a Savior. You need the mercy of God. Paul said, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16). Everyone needs the salvation of God because there is no one who is righteous. All are under the power of sin and need God to set them free.