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Romans 3:19 – Guilty!

Posted on November 16, 2009 by admin

Romans 3:19

Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.

Truth to Learn

None of us can live without breaking the rules, no not one.

Behind the Words

The word translated “guilty” is hupodikos, a compound word made up of hupo (hypo), meaning “under” and a form of dike, which means “judgment.” Hence, it means “under judgment, guilty, or condemned.”

Meaning Explained

Paul is talking to the Jewish Christians in Rome who were proud of the fact that they were descendents of Abraham and proud of the fact that the Law and the Prophets (the Old Testament) had been entrusted to the Jews. They were believers in Christ, but they still believed they needed to obey the Law.

Paul has just completed a number of quotations from their Scriptures which clearly show that all men are sinners; no one is righteous in God’s sight. The logical argument from a devout Jew would be that they are righteous because they obey the Law. Paul understood that attitude; he felt the same way before his conversion. Here’s what he said about himself:

I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the strictness of our fathers’ law, and was zealous toward God as you all are today. (Acts 22:3)

Gamaliel was a Pharisee, one of the ruling Sanhedrin, a Doctor of the Law, and honored by all the people as one of the greatest teachers of his time. So you can see that Paul was well aware of the attitude that would pervade those devout Jews even after they became Christians.

Therefore, he now shows them why their reliance on obedience to the Law is pointless. Those things that are delineated by the Law are spoken to those who try to obey the Law for one reason,

that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.

In other words, Paul is saying that the purpose of the Law is to condemn all those who try to keep the Law. “But that doesn’t make sense,” you may say. “Why would God give the Law to mankind knowing that no one could keep the Law?” Paul will answer that question in the next few verses.

For now I want us all to recognize that none of us is righteous by keeping all the regulations and requirements of whatever church we belong to. Churches today have become very much like the Pharisees of Christ’s time. They imply that you have to obey all the rules and requirements of The Church, become a member, get baptized a certain way, say the right kind of prayers, or worship the proper way, and God will usher you into heaven because you’ve done the right things.

Paul says that’s baloney!

Application

Are you relying on following all the rules of your church or keeping the Ten Commandments in order to get to Heaven? If so, Paul says you’re in for a big shock when you stand before God on the Day of Judgment.

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

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Romans 3:18 – Fear God

Posted on November 15, 2009 by admin

Romans 3:18

“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

Truth to Learn

It is good to fear God.

Behind the Words

The word translated “fear” is the Greek word “phobos” from which we get the English term “phobia.” It means, as it has been translated, “fear” plain and simple.

“Before” is from apenanti, which is a double compound word made up of apo, meaning “from,” en, which refers to a fixed position (in, at, on, over, etc.), and anti, meaning “against” or “opposite.” A literal translation might be “from over against,” it is an idiomatic expression meaning “directly in front of.”

Meaning Explained

This verse is the last in a series of quotes that Paul makes from the Septuagint. This one comes from Psalms 36:1. Paul uses this to show a third result of rejecting God. He has already mentioned two of the results to expect when one has turned out of God’s way and has gone his(or her) own way; destruction and misery are in their pathway, and they have not known a pathway of peace. He now states the third: they don’t fear God. That is, they are not afraid of meeting up with God on the pathway they have chosen.

“But,” you may say, “I thought that God was a God of love and compassion. Why should anyone fear Him?”

Yes, He is a loving and compassionate God, but He is also a God of justice, which means that He will, because He must, judge sin. Jesus also taught that we should fear God. Here’s what he said according to Matthew’s gospel account:

And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. (Matthew 10:28)

Throughout the Old Testament we see the expression “the fear of the Lord” used to describe those who recognize His exalted position and their own lowly position. To a Christian, the fear of God is an expression of awe and reverence for who He is and what He has done. According to Scripture both knowledge and wisdom begin with the fear of the Lord:

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge (Proverbs 1:7a)

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom
(Psalms 111:10)

Those who have no fear of our almighty, righteous God are not restrained from committing sin. It also means that they won’t submit themselves to Him and they won’t receive His free gift of salvation offered at the cross. As a result, at the Great White Throne judgment (the judgment of unbelievers) they will be judged for their sins and they will be cast into the lake of fire; no ifs, ands, or buts! Throughout this entire passage Paul is saying that this is the destiny of all men who reject God’s grace. There is none righteous, no not one (not even you).

Application

If we fear God and we have accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior then we know that His wrath against our sins has been satisfied at the cross. That doesn’t mean that we should fear Him any less. Rather, out of reverential fear we should humbly submit to Him, seeking His will rather than our own. Or, as Solomon said, “Fear God and keep His commandments.”

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Romans 3:17 – The Peace Path

Posted on November 12, 2009 by admin

Romans 3:17

And the way of peace they have not known.”

Truth to Learn

Real peace is only experienced on God’s path.

Behind the Words

The word translated “peace” is eirēnē, which refers to “the absence of warfare and dissention.” It is also used metaphorically, as in this verse, to mean “peace of mind” or “tranquility.”

“They have not known” is translated from the two words ouk egnōsan. Ouk is the absolute negative in Greek and egnōsan is a form of ginōskō, meaning “to know.” There are several Greek words that refer to knowledge. This particular one refers to acquired or experiential knowledge as opposed to intuitive knowledge. In today’s verse it implies that the people being talked about have never experienced peace.

Meaning Explained

Paul now states another result of having turned out of God’s way and having gone down the path of one’s own choosing. We explained in yesterday’s verse that hodos refers to “a way” or “a road.” Today we think of a road like a highway where cars and trucks travel at high speed. In the first century when this epistle (letter) was written, a road was often no more than a pathway just wide enough for an animal drawn cart to pass. So when we see the word “way” in these verses, it is usually referring to a road or pathway for foot traffic.

Another thing to be aware of is the fact that the definite article is not present before hodos in the Greek text, which would lead us to translate this as “a way of peace” not “the way of peace.” In other words, there is not a single way of peace. Any path that God leads us down is potentially “a way of peace,” but the road we select for ourselves apart from God is never “a way of peace.”

Are you lacking peace in your life today? Jesus offers us a very special peace. In his gospel account, the Apostle John recorded these words of Jesus:

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. (John 14:27)

And, in his letter to the Christians at Philippi, the Apostle Paul explained how a Christian can experience this peace:

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

In today’s verse, however, we see that the natural man does not know the way of real peace because he doesn’t know the Prince of Peace. As we learned in the previous verse, the unsaved person will ultimately only know the way of destruction and misery.

Application

Even in the midst of trials and tribulation on this earth, we can experience this peace “that passes all understanding” because Jesus offered it to us. In order to have such peace, however, we need to be walking down God’s road, not our own.

Are you on a path of peace today?

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Romans 3:16 – Pathway Choices

Posted on November 11, 2009 by admin

Romans 3:16

Destruction and misery are in their ways;

Truth to Learn

The path we take is up to us. The end result is up to God.

Behind the Words

The word translated “destruction” comes from the Greek word suntrimma, which is made up of sun, meaning “together” and a form of tribo, which means “to strike or to rub.” Hence, this word literally means “to strike together” as two large rocks might be brought together against something to crush it completely.

The word translated “misery” is the Greek word talaipōria, which means “affliction, distress, or misery.”

“Ways” is translated from hodos, which refers to “a road” or “a pathway.” As we have mentioned before, in the Bible we are depicted as travelers walking down a road or pathway. This verse is an excellent example of that.

Meaning Explained

The Apostle Paul’s current condemnation of all mankind started back in verse 10 with, “there is none righteous, no, not one,” which is taken from the Septuagint (Greek translation of the Old Testament.) Since that verse, he has quoted a number of other verses from the Septuagint as he is demonstrating to all those in Rome who were familiar with this Greek version of the Old Testament that the Scripture clearly declares neither Jew nor Gentile is righteous before God.

He now identifies some of the results of their having “turned out of the way,” that is, they have left the path of righteousness, and having used their words to eviscerate others, they have demonstrated their wickedness through their words. And those results include that fact that destruction and misery are in their pathways. Notice that when we leave the pathway that God wants us to travel and go our own way, our new path will have things that God’s way wouldn’t have had. In this case it is destruction and misery.

Also notice that “ways” is plural. Those who follow the urgings of their human nature (our sin nature) will encounter destruction and misery no matter what road they take. At this point it is easy for us to look at crooked political leaders or selfish businessmen who have amassed great power and wealth. It doesn’t appear to us that they are encountering destruction and misery. However, they never have rest from worrying about who might attack them or wondering when their house of cards might crumble beneath them. Ultimately we know some day they will have to stand before the Judge and the result will be destruction and misery.

Here are two quotes from the book of Proverbs that summarize what we have been talking about:

There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death. (Proverbs 14:12)

Better is a little with the fear of the LORD, than great treasure with trouble. (Proverbs 15:16)

Application

God’s way is not always the easy way, but it will always end in peace for us and praise to God. Lord, give us the discernment to see your path and the courage to take it rather than our own!

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Romans 3:15 – Eager Violence

Posted on November 10, 2009 by admin

Romans 3:15

“Their feet are swift to shed blood;

Truth to Learn

Bloodshed and violence are part of human nature.

Behind the Words

“Swift” is translated from the Greek word oxus. The basic meaning of this word is “to have a sharp, piercing point or a very sharp edge.” But this word also implies eagerness toward violence.

The word translated “shed” is ekcheō, which is a compound word made up of ek, meaning “out” or “out of” and cheō, which means “to pour.” Therefore, we can see that this word literally means “to pour out.”

Meaning Explained

In today’s verse the Apostle Paul quotes from Isaiah 59:7 which says,

Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood; their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and ruin are in their paths.

This passage in Isaiah occurs in the midst of a description of the character of the nation of Israel in the time of Isaiah. The expression, “their feet are swift,” implies the eagerness of the Jewish people to commit crime, particularly deeds of bodily injury and cruelty. They pursued the innocent ones and were not afraid to shed others’ blood to gratify their wicked desires, or to satisfy their vengeance on those who opposed them.

Notice also, in the Isaiah passage, that it is not just their actions that indicate the wickedness of their hearts. Isaiah says that their thoughts were thoughts of iniquity. Even when they were not performing deeds of wickedness and injury to others, they were thinking about doing evil.

In quoting this passage, however, Paul is showing us that this is the nature of all of mankind, not just Jews. It is clear from Paul’s description of the depravity of mankind in this passage that without the grace of a merciful God, none of us would ever be able to stand before the Judge of the universe without fear of condemnation.

If we hearken back to the metaphor of life being depicted as walking along a pathway, we begin to see the magnitude of this sinful characteristic of man. Instead of a leisurely stroll down the path of life, or even hastening one’s step to pursue closeness to our Travel Guide, this verse portrays man dashing off the path of righteousness in order to attack others. It is indicative of the overwhelming influence of our sin nature when it is not being held in check by the Holy Spirit of God.

Application

It’s easy to see this type of attitude and action being played out all around us. It might be some person going on a killing rampage because they’re angry, or it might be crooked government officials causing pain and suffering for innocent people because of their own selfish greed. It’s part of human nature. We Christians need to do two things. First, we need to ensure that we are humbled before God and filled with His Spirit so we don’t think or do any such things. Then, we need to pray for those who do these things. Be a witness of Christ’s love and pray for the salvation of others. Remember that it is only by the grace of God that we will appear before the Judge some day with the righteousness of Christ. Thank you, Lord for saving my soul!

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Romans 3:14 – Words of Bitterness

Posted on November 9, 2009 by admin

Romans 3:14

“Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.”

Truth to Learn

Other people’s words can be hurtful, but ours shouldn’t be so.

Behind the Words

The word translated “cursing” is ara, which originally meant “a prayer,” but it has come to mean an imprecatory prayer or “a curse.” This word implies a plea made to a deity requesting vengeance or evil upon someone else.

The word “bitterness” is from the Greek word pikria. This word was originally used to indicate the fruits of the wild vine or bitter gourd which are so excessively bitter and acrid as to be a kind of poison. Words can be like that!

Meaning Explained

In this verse (quoting Psalms 10:7) and the previous verse, the Apostle Paul is quoting from Old Testament scriptures (the Greek translation, called the Septuagint). These verses identify some of the characteristics of people’s words when left to themselves without the influence of a Holy God.

Do you notice the commonality between this verse and the previous one? Both of these verses talk about parts of the body associated with harmful speech. In the previous verse Paul talked about their throat as being an open grave. According to Albert Barnes in his Notes on the Bible,

… as the grave is ever open to receive all into it, that is, into destruction, so the mouth or the throat of the slanderer is ever open to swallow up the peace and happiness of all.”

The second quotation (from yesterday’s verse) says that the poison of asps is under their lips. The particular snake referred to could also be the adder, which is one of the most deadly snakes known to man. This snake is small and commonly lies concealed in the sand or loose dirt beside a road, striking the traveler before he sees it. This, again, is a metaphorical reference to the words of man and how quickly they can cause harm when used in a deceitful and intentionally harmful way.

In today’s verse we see that Paul is still talking about intentionally harmful words. These words are full of bitterness, used to express evil toward others. Here’s what James says:

And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. (James 3:6-10)

And Paul is not yet finished with his description of mankind apart from the Spirit of God. There are still four more verses describing us all.

Application

It is easy to recall when others have used words to harm us. It is not so easy to remember when we have used words to harm others. As God’s children we should never intentionally attack others with vicious words. Let us all humble ourselves before God right now, asking for His Spirit to change our words of cursing and bitterness into words of encouragement and love.

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Romans 3:13 – Painful Words

Posted on November 8, 2009 by admin

Romans 3:13

“Their throat is an open tomb; with their tongues they have practiced deceit”; “the poison of asps is under their lips”;

Truth to Learn

Our words can be powerful weapons of pain if not controlled.

Behind the Words

The word translated “throat” is the Greek word larugx, from which we get the medical term larynx. This is the part of the throat that produces the sound necessary for speech.

“They have practiced deceit” is translated from the word dolioō, meaning “to lure as with bait” or “to use carefully crafted words to deceive.” As pointed out below, this verse is a quotation of the Old Testament. The Hebrew equivalent of this word means “smooth.” In Psalms 5:9, therefore, it literally says “they have smooth tongues.”

Meaning Explained

This verse is made up of two direct quotations from the Septuagint (Greek translation of the Old Testament.):

Their throat is an open tomb; with their tongues they have practiced deceit (Psalms 5:9b)

the poison of asps is under their lips (Psalms 140:3b)

Paul’s use of the Septuagint to quote from rather than the Masoretic Text (the predominant Hebrew version of the Old Testament at that time) is interesting. In fact in all of his writings Paul, like all the other writers of the New Testament, quotes predominantly from the Septuagint rather than the Masoretic Text. For the other writers of the New Testament this may not seem too strange since they were predominantly not from the “learned” class of Jews. Paul, on the other hand, was brought up under Gamaliel, one of the leading Jewish teachers of the time. Paul’s use of the Septuagint probably reflects the fact that most Christians of the first and second centuries used and were familiar with the Septuagint. Thus, he was quoting from a version that they would recognize readily.

Regarding his message, Paul is continuing to demonstrate what the Scriptures have to say about the condition of all people (Jew or Gentile), that we are unrighteous sinners, not deserving of God’s blessing. In this passage Scripture says our throat is an open tomb. As pointed out in Behind the Words, the word throat refers to the larynx which is the source of speech. Paul tells us that it is like an open grave which, according to Proverbs 30:15, 16 is never satisfied. In other words, natural man continually utters harmful speech.

This passage then tells us that natural man practices deceit with his tongue. Without God’s regeneration, man uses smooth words to deceive others into satisfying his own desire. That sounds like good ol’ everyday advertizing to me. Back in the 1940s they would have called it propaganda! Finally, this passage tells us that the words of unregenerate man can bite like a deadly snake.

Application

We have all felt the pain of deceitful, dishonest words used against us to intentionally harm us. And, we have just learned that it’s a part of our fallen human nature to do that to others. As Christians we can overcome our natural tendency to use our words in such a hurtful way. We can only do so, however, by submitting ourselves to our God and asking the Holy Spirit to control our speech so that it glorifies Him.

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Romans 3:12 – Wayward and Useless

Posted on October 29, 2009 by admin

Romans 3:12

They have all turned aside; they have together become unprofitable; there is none who does good, no, not one.”

Truth to Learn

Doing religious things our own way is useless.

Behind the Words

The word translated, “turned aside” is ekklinō, which is made up of ek, meaning “out of” and klinō, meaning “to bend, or to turn aside.” Hence, ekklinō means “to turn aside out of the way.” The image is of someone who is walking down a path and turns off the path. So, when we take our own path instead of the one that God desires for us, we have “turned aside.”

“Have become unprofitable” is the Greek word achreioō, which literally means, “to become useless.” It is a word that is used of food which has spoiled and is no longer useful as food.

Meaning Explained

In today’s verse the Apostle Paul continues his quotation from Psalms 53. He says we have all turned out of the way and have become useless. As a result, none of us does anything truly good; no, not even one of us!

Paul, like other writers of Holy Scripture, both in the Old Testament and the New Testament, depicts life as a journey, walking down the pathways of life. We have God as our guide on the path as long as we are willing to listen to Him. He knows the pathway for us to take which will glorify Him. But we often ignore His leading and travel the pathways that we want to take. Inevitably, however, the path we choose leads us into trouble and we have to call out to our Guide for help. The wonderful part of this is that whenever we call out to Him and admit our selfish sinfulness, He is right there to rescue us and to lead us back to the right path.

In today’s verse Paul tells us that when we sin, we have turned out of the way God intended for us, going our own way. Not only will this likely result in us getting into trouble, Paul tells us that we are no longer useful to God in accomplishing His desire for us. His desire is to use us for His glory, but our sins prevent that from happening. As a result, we become useless to Him like spoiled food.

It doesn’t matter whether we are Jews or Gentiles. It doesn’t matter whether we attend church every Sunday. It doesn’t matter if we read our Bibles every day. It doesn’t matter if we pray without ceasing. It doesn’t matter if we serve on the worship team, as an usher, as a Sunday school teacher, work in the nursery, serve on a committee, or give of our time to work on the church building. It doesn’t matter if we witness faithfully or do any other good deed. When we fail to listen to the still, small voice of God, we fail to follow His leading and we turn aside to do these things for ourselves, instead of doing them for His glory. And Paul tells us that we become useless to God and the things we do are not good things.

Application

God expects us to give of our time, talents, and treasure for the furtherance of His kingdom. If we serve Him with the wrong attitude, if we serve Him for the wrong reason, if we serve Him simply because we want to do it or because we feel pressured into doing it, we’re walking down the wrong path and we don’t glorify God. But if we do anything because the Holy Spirit has lead us to do it, this is good and it pleases God.

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Romans 3:11 – I Don’t Understand

Posted on October 28, 2009 by admin

Romans 3:11

There is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God.

Truth to Learn

We do not seek out God; He draws us to Him.

Behind the Words

The word translated “understands” is the Greek word suniēmi, which is made up of sun, meaning “together” and hiēmi, meaning “to send” or “to put.” So literally this means “to send together” or “to put together.” It refers to someone “putting it all together” or “understanding.”

“Seeks” is from the verb exzēteō. This is made up of ek, meaning “out” and zēteō, which means “to seek” or “to pursue.” Hence, exzēteō means “to seek out” or “to search diligently.”

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse Paul declared the first of his great doctrinal statements of the book of Romans. This is the first statement of what some have come to call “The Romans Road.” The first step in the Romans Road is, “There is none righteous, no not one.” You will recall that this is a quote from the book of Psalms.

The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, and have done abominable iniquity; there is none who does good. God looks down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any who understand, who seek God. Every one of them has turned aside; they have together become corrupt; there is none who does good, no, not one. (Psalms 53:1-3)

What Paul declared in the previous verse is that there is no one who is righteous in and of himself, or herself. There is no one in the human race (save for Christ Himself) who can stand in the presence of God Almighty and claim that he or she is righteous enough to deserve heaven.

In today’s verse Paul continues with his quotation, selecting a portion of Psalms 53:2. Not only is no one righteous, none of us understands what God wants from us. And today’s verse also tells us that none of us, left to ourselves, seeks after God. In fact, were it not for the drawing together influence of the Spirit of God, none of us would be able to come to God. We don’t seek Him; He draws us to Himself.

The bottom line is that none of us deserves heaven or salvation. No, not one! In order for us to be saved we must first realize that we are not worthy of salvation. We don’t deserve it, and there is no reason why God should grant it to us apart from His grace and His grace alone!

If you have never recognized your unworthiness for God’s free gift of salvation, now is the time to humble yourself before the mighty hand of God, confess your utter sinfulness, beg for His mercy, and accept His blessed gift of salvation through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ on the cross.

Application

If you have already accepted the sacrifice of Jesus Christ as the payment for your sins, then you are righteous in His eyes. But you need to realize that without the illumination of the Holy Spirit you wouldn’t even understand what God wants from you. And, you need to recognize that you were drawn to Him; you didn’t come by your own effort.

Thank you Lord, for drawing me to Yourself, for allowing me to understand Your message, and for saving my soul!

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Romans 3:10 – No Not One!

Posted on October 27, 2009 by admin

Romans 3:10

As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one;

Truth to Learn

None of us meets God’s standard of righteousness.

Behind the Words

The words “it is written” are translated from a single Greek verb, graphō. This word literally means “to engrave,” that is, “to write.” It is expressed here in the perfect tense. This tense in Greek indicates past completed action with an ongoing effect, but the emphasis is on the effect. Hence, we could express this as “It has been written and, therefore, is now in writing.”

“Righteous” is from the Greek word dikaios. It is based on the word dikē, which originally referred to a tendency. Gradually, this word came to mean “an established standard or custom.” So, dikaios refers to someone who has met an expected standard. The standard referred to here is God’s standard of behavior, always doing what is right.

Meaning Explained

Don’t you just hate it when someone starts quoting Scripture at you, especially when you know they’re right? Well, that’s just what Paul is doing here. He is talking to Jewish Christians in Rome who very likely know the Law and the Prophets (what we call The Old Testament). He has been skillfully showing them that whether they are Jews or not they are no better in God’s eyes than anyone else. He now drops the other shoe!

He is quoting from both Psalms 14 and Psalms 53, which are nearly identical. His quotation, which comprises verse ten through eighteen, is really a chain of quotations and paraphrases. Here’s what Psalms 53 says:

Up to this point in Paul’s discourse it still would have been possible, though improbable, that some of his Jewish Christian readers might have thought themselves better than others and acceptable to God because of their lineage and their possession of the Scriptures. Now they have no leg to stand on, so to speak. Their own Scriptures clearly condemn everyone as having turned from God and having become wicked. Paul will use this and other scripture verses from the Old Testament to show these Jewish Christians that the Scriptures which had been entrusted to them by God declare even Jews to be without righteousness.

Application

Let us now stop here and consider that before accepting Christ as Savior, none of us could have stood before God innocent in any way because we haven’t measured up to His standard. When we believed His gospel message and accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, we were credited with the righteousness of Christ. Without this righteousness credited to our account we are all destined for hell!

In other words, without the blood of Christ, none of us deserves heaven, no not one!

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –