All Are Sinners!

But God shows His anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. They know the truth about God because He has made it obvious to them. For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see His invisible qualities — His eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. Yes, they knew God, but they would not worship (glory) Him as God or even give Him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. . . . They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator Himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen. . . . For a day of anger is coming, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. He will judge everyone according to what they have done. He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers. But He will pour out His anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and instead live lives of wickedness. There will be trouble and calamity for everyone who keeps on doing what is evil—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile. But there will be glory and honor and peace from God for all who do good—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile. For God does not show favoritism. . . . For you are not a true Jew just because you were born of Jewish parents or because you have gone through the ceremony of circumcision. No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the Law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by God’s Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people. . . . Well then, should we conclude that we Jews are better than others? No, not at all, for we have already shown that all people, whether Jews or Gentiles, are under the power of sin. But now God has shown us a way to be made right with Him . . . We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness (grace), declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when He freed us from the penalty for our sins. Romans 1:18-21, 25, 2:5-11, 28-29, 3:9, 21-24 (NLT)

The next big section of the book of Romans is Romans 1:18 through Romans 3:20 and then Romans 3:21 through Romans 3:30. In Romans 1:18 through Romans 3:20, the Apostle Paul states clearly that ALL people – Jews and Gentiles – are sinful and lost and we all stand before God guilty (Romans 3:23). From Romans 1:18 throughout Romans 3:20, the Apostle Paul thoroughly explains to both groups – Jews and Gentiles – why they need Jesus Christ and the power of the Gospel (also called the Good News). The Gospel message is the “power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile. This Good News tells us how God makes us right in His sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith” (Romans 1:16-17, NLT). No one can claim by their own efforts or merits to be good or right in God's sight. All humans have a deadly disease – sin and this sin disease also makes us guilty of the death penalty (Romans 3:9, 23; see also Romans 6:23). Yet God has graciously offered all humans a cure and lifeline for this disease and the answer is Jesus Christ (Romans 5:8). The Apostle Paul gives us the cure to our deadly disease in Romans 3:21-30. Our sin disease can only be cured and we can be found not guilty through faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ (Romans 3:21-30; see also Romans 10:8-10). This means wholehearted faith in in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Apart from God’s saving activity in Jesus Christ, we have no hope and meaning in life.

First of all, the Apostle Paul explains in Romans 1:18-32 that all Gentiles (non-Jewish) are guilty sinners without Jesus Christ. God has graciously revealed Himself and His qualities to all humans through His creation. Humans know that there is a true and living God who had the wisdom to plan and the power to create the natural world (Romans 1:20). True facts about God are not hidden in creation as these facts are “clearly seen” (Romans 1:20). In looking at the created world, all people can see abundant evidence of God’s existence and power. ALL of creation reveal the Creator – the true and living God (Psalm 19:1-4; Psalm 29:3-9; Psalm 104:1-30). “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky proclaims the work of His hands” (Psalms 19:1, HCSB).

Moreover, God gives Gentiles “the work of the Law written in their hearts” (Romans 2:15). All people know in their hearts that God exists, as well as God’s moral requirements (Romans 1:21, 32; Romans 2:14-15). In other words, Gentiles have an inner sense of right and wrong. This inner judge, the Holy Bible calls “conscience”, is an inner sense of what God requires. Around the world all people in every society have an inner sense of God’s moral law. The Gentiles have a sense of sin, a fear of judgment, and an attempt to atone for sins and appease whatever gods are feared.

Yet, Gentiles humans have suppressed or rejected the truth about God in order to live their lives independent of God and God’s ways (Romans 1:21-22), and turned the truth about God into a lie (Romans 1:25). In essence, Gentiles have chosen a selfish, rebellious and prideful lifestyle without wholehearted dependence, trust, and faith in God (Romans 1:21, 25, 28). Instead of looking to God and trusting, the Gentiles saw themselves as the center of the universe and made themselves into god with their selfish plans and decrees (see also Genesis 3:1-7). The temptation in the Garden was to live separate from God (pride or arrogance) and not living in submission and dependence on the true and living God. Because of their rejection of God (sin), “God gave them up” to their own selfish desires and self-centered life-styles (Romans 1:24, 26). Sin is often identified as deeds, such as stealing, murder, adultery, or lying (see Exodus 20:1–17; Deuteronomy 5:1–21). However, sin is really an attitude deep within the human heart and is often expressed as “I know better than God” or “I want it my way.” This attitude led Adam and Eve to that first disobedient act in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:3, 6). To follow our own selfish wills, lusts, and desires in disobedience of God and God’s Word is to put self in the place of God and become our own god (Proverbs 3:5, 7; Proverbs 14:12). Sin is selfish!

Therefore, God allowed Gentile humans to go on with their sins and reap the sad consequences of all sin. This is the meaning of Romans 1:18, “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven” (literal translation). God’s wrath is not limited to the end-time judgment of the wicked (1 Thessalonians 1:10; Revelation 19:15; Revelation 20:11-15). Here in Romans the wrath of God is His abandonment or the turning over of the wicked to their sins (Romans 1:24-32). God revealed His wrath, not by sending fire from heaven, but by abandoning sinful humans to their lustful and selfish ways and the tragic consequences that flows from sin and rebellion against God. In other words, the wrath or judgment of God is going on right now because God gave them up (Romans 1:24, 26, 28) and let them suffer the consequences. Thus, the wrath of God is present! The pain, suffering, torment, and agony we experience are expressions of the very wrath of God because of our sinfulness, selfishness and the sinfulness of others. God's wrath results when we reject God and God’s holy standards. The greatest wrath and judgment God can inflict on humans is to let us have our own way and suffer the consequences. Sin hurts all people — individuals, families, and whole societies. Once caught in this downward spiral, NO ONE can pull themselves out this deadly pit except God! So, “People did not think it was important to have a true knowledge of God. So God left them and allowed them to have their own worthless thinking and to do things they should not do” (Romans 1:28, NCV). The Apostle Paul names twenty-four specific sins the Gentile humans did, all of which are with us today – sexual sins, homosexuality, greed, hatred, envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice, and gossip. “Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents” (Romans 1:29-30, NLT). (For other lists of sins see Mark 7:20-23, Romans 13:13; 1 Corinthians 5:10-11; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; 2 Corinthians 12:20-21; Galatians 5:19-21; Ephesians 4:31; Ephesians 5:3-5; Colossians 3:5, 8; 1 Timothy 1:9-10; 2 Timothy 3:2-5; Revelation 21:8; Revelation 22:15).

Not only are the Gentiles sinning, the Jewish world is also guilty of sin! (Romans 2:1 – Romans 3:20). In these verses, the Apostle Paul gives extensive detail, space and evidence to discuss Jewish sinfulness. The very things Jews condemned in the Gentiles, they themselves were practicing! Jews believed that they were free from God’s wrath and judgment because they were God's “chosen people”. In His goodness, God had given Israel great material and spiritual riches: a wonderful land, a righteous Law, a Temple and priesthood, God's providential care, and many more blessings. God had patiently endured Israel's many sins and rebellions, and had even sent them His Son, Jesus to be their Messiah. Yet, Israel rejected God’s Messiah – Jesus. When God measured the deeds of the Jews, He found them just as wicked as the Gentiles. Nevertheless, the Jew boasted they had God’s Law. Yet, Paul stated that the Jews’ possession of the Law did not count but only the actual practice of the Law. According to the Apostle Paul, being a Jew meant nothing if the person did not obey God's laws. Paul goes on to explain that a real Jew is one whose heart is right with God and obeys God inwardly (see Romans 2:25-29). God want a heart relationship with all people – Jews and Gentiles and not just religious rituals and actions (see Jeremiah 4:4; see also Isaiah 1:10-20; Isaiah 66:3; Jeremiah 6:20; Jeremiah 7:22-23; Hosea 6:6; Amos 5:21; Micah 6:6-8). The Apostle Paul made it clear that membership in God's family is based on internal, not external, actions and qualities (Romans 2:28-29). All whose hearts are right with God are real Jews and apart of God's family (see also Galatians 3:7). Attending church or being baptized, confirmed, or accepted for membership is not enough. God desires our wholehearted trust, obedience, and allegiance to Him and not merely an outward physical actions and deeds (Romans 2:25-29; see also Deuteronomy 10:16; Jeremiah 9:26; Ezekiel. 44:9). The Jewish people had the religious actions, but not the inward heart devotion and attitude God so desires. God wants justice, mercy, and humility from all people as these good deeds and heart attitude summarized the whole Old Testament law (see Micah 6:6-8; see also Matthew 22:34-40; Matthew 23:23). God not only sees the deeds but He also sees the “thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

In summation, the Apostle Paul taught that ALL people of the world stand guilty before a holy and righteous God with a deadly sin disease (Romans 3:9-23). Both Jews and Gentiles (religious and irreligious) are guilty before God. The Apostle Paul quotes from Psalms and Isaiah to show that, from head to foot, we are all lost sinners. Romans 3:10-18 provides collections of Old Testament quotations that the Apostle Paul gives to underscore his charge that both Jews and Gentiles are under the power of sin (see Psalms 5:9, 10; Psalms 14:1–3; Psalms 36:1–4; Isaiah 59:7, 8). Essentially, there is a universality of human guilt and sin – the whole world is guilty, Jews and Gentiles! Sadly, no human cure and no human good deeds can declare us not guilty and cure our sin deadly disease. We cannot save ourselves (Romans 3:20). We can do good works, but good works are not good enough to save us (Ephesians 2:8–9). Even when we humans try to obey the Old Testament Law, we fail miserably!  Neither Jew nor Gentile can obey God's Law without God’s help. Only God can save us from sin because we are all trapped by a deadly sin disease.

Romans 3:21-30 discuss God’s solution and cure to sin. These verses are normally called the “Good News of the Gospel.” However, Romans 4 completes the Good News message by providing us how we can all access God’s cure. So, the Good News of the Gospel is not that God sent His Son to die for ungodly sinners but also that God’s Son died for us and we all have access through faith. Romans 4:1-25 describe the access to the Gospel for all sinful people. The Apostle Paul teaches in Romans 4 that access to God’s forgiveness and cure is by faith alone. FAITH is central to the Gospel. The Good News of the Gospel is not just that Jesus Christ died for ungodly people but that Jesus Christ died for us and we all have access by faith. In other words, access to God’s saving work through Jesus Christ’s life, death and resurrection is by faith. The Apostle Paul picks Abraham, the father of Judaism to support this argument of faith alone. God started the redemptive work with Abraham in Genesis 12 that culminates with the coming and return of Jesus Christ in book of Revelation. Abraham responded in faith to God’s call in Genesis 12:1–3 and this faith was accounted to Abraham as righteous (Romans 4:3; see also Genesis 15:6). Therefore, the Apostle Paul declared that wholehearted faith in God’s finished work found in Jesus Christ’s life, death, and resurrection can declare all people NOT guilty and finally cure our deadly sin disease (Romans 3:21-30).

Let everyone begin today by surrendering our wholehearted love, devotion and trust in God’s saving activity through the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God’s unique Son (Romans 3:21-31). We are declared NOT GUILITY, RIGHTEOUS, AND SINLESS by trusting Jesus Christ to take away our sins (Romans 3:21-30).

But now God has shown us a different way to heaven (now and eternal) — not by “being good enough” and trying to keep His laws, but by a new way (though not new, really, for the Scriptures told about it long ago). Now God says He will accept and acquit us — declare us “not guilty” — if we trust Jesus Christ to take away our sins. And we all can be saved in this same way, by coming to Christ, no matter who we are or what we have been like. Yes, all have sinned; all fall short of God’s glorious ideal; yet now God declares us “not guilty” of offending Him if we trust in Jesus Christ, who in His kindness freely takes away our sins. For God sent Christ Jesus to take the punishment for our sins and to end all God’s anger against us. He used Christ’s blood and our faith as the means of saving us from His wrath. In this way He was being entirely fair . . . . And now in these days also He can receive sinners in this same way because Jesus took away their sins. But is not this unfair for God to let criminals go free, and say that they are innocent? No, for He does it on the basis of their trust in Jesus who took away their sins. Then what can we boast about doing to earn our salvation? Nothing at all. Why? Because our acquittal is not based on our good deeds; it is based on what Christ has done and our faith in Him. So it is that we are saved by faith in Christ and not by the good things we do. And does God save only the Jews in this way? No, the Gentiles, too, may come to Him in this same manner.  God treats us all the same; all, whether Jews or Gentiles, are acquitted if they have faith. Well then, if we are saved by faith, does this mean that we no longer need obey God’s laws? Just the opposite! In fact, only when we trust Jesus can we truly obey Him. Romans 3:21-31 (TLB)

References

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Spirit Filled Life Study Bible. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 1991.

The Amplified Bible. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1987.

Zondervan NIV Study Bible. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2008.

Loyd, Melton, Ph.D., Professor of New Testament. Columbia Campus: Erskine Theological Seminary, 2014.

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Wiersbe, Warren. With the Word Bible Commentary. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 1991.