Romans 3:9-23, "What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; 10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. 13 Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: 14 Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: 15 Their feet are swift to shed blood: 16 Destruction and misery are in their ways: 17 And the way of peace have they not known: 18 There is no fear of God before their eyes. 19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. --- V. 23, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;"
I. The Condition of Man Is Horrendous and Horrifying..
A. Mankind has a Sinful Nature --- (The proverbial Bad Seed)
1. Romans 5:12, "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:"
2, Romans 3:10, "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:" --- V. 23, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;"
3. Ephesians 2:3, "Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others."
4. Psalm 51:5, "Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me."
5. Galatians 3:22, "But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe."
6. 1 Kings 8:46, ".. (for there is no man that sinneth not,)"
7. James 2:10, "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all."
B. Mankind has a Carnal Mind.
Genesis 6:5, "And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually."
Romans 8:7-8, "Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God."
C. Mankind has a Wicked Heart.
Matthew 15:19, "For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:"
Jeremiah 17:9, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?"
D. Mankind's Conduct Is Sinful.
Isaiah 64:6, "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away."
Isaiah 53:6, "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all."
Ecclesiastes 7:20, "For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not."
Psalm 53:3, "Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one."
II. Man Is Charged And Found Guilty Before God.
A. The charge is Sin Against The Holy God --- The verdict is Guilty.
Ecclesiastes 12:14, "For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil."
B. An Analysis of our lesson text (Rom. 3:9-23) reveals that:
They are all under sin; There is none righteous, no, not one:
--- All have failed.
There is none that understandeth,
--- All have become willfully ignorant.
There is none that seeketh after God.
--- All seek their own.
They are all gone out of the way,
--- They have deliberately turned their backs on the Truth.
They are together become unprofitable;
--- They have dishonored God instead of glorifying Him.
There is none that doeth good, no, not one.
--- Their practices are evil --- they do not follow after that which is good.
Their throat is an open sepulchre;
--- Because of the corruption within.
With their tongues they have used deceit;
--- Lying and deception are characteristic.
The poison of asps is under their lips:
--- It is the poison inserted into the very nature of man by that old serpent, the devil.
Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:
--- For out of the heart the mouth speaketh.
Their feet are swift to shed blood:
--- Hatred produces murder.
Destruction and misery are in their ways:
--- Because they have forgotten God and the source of life and blessing.
The way of peace have they not known:
--- They have rejected the Prince of Peace and chosen the way of death.
There is no fear of God before their eyes.
--- Hence, there is no wisdom in them.
"All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;"
III. The Sentence Is Eternal Death.
A. John 3:18, "He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."
B. John 3:36, "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."
C. John 8:24, "I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins."
D. Revelation 21:8, "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death."
E. Revelation 14:11, "And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name."
F. Revelation 20:15, "And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."
IV. Mankind Is Totally Helpless To Remedy His Condition.
A. Man's Moral Goodness is not enough.
Jeremiah 13:23, "Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil."
B. Man's Noblest Efforts are not enough.
Galatians 3:10, "For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them."
James 2:10, "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all."
C. Man's Religious Efforts are Not Enough.
Proverbs 16:25, "There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death."
D. Man's Sorrow For Sin not enough.
( A man convicted of Murder may say he is sorry .....)
2 Corinthians 7:10, "For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death."
E. Sin's Penalty Is Satisfied Only By Death.
You must either Pay It Yourself or accept the Payment Jesus Made for you on the Cross.
Isaiah 53:10-11, "Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, ..." 11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities."
A Search For The Truth About Salvation
