We’re All Guilty, But That’s Not the End of the Story
“As it is written: ‘None is righteous, no, not one.’” — Romans 3:10
There’s a moment in the book of Romans that stops you in your tracks. Chapter 3 doesn’t begin with comfort—it begins with brutal honesty. It tells us something that deep down, we all know but often ignore: we are not okay on our own. We’re broken. Not just slightly misaligned or morally off-center, but completely lost. Whether you were raised in church or never cracked open a Bible, the same verdict is written over all of us: no one is righteous. Not one. Not you, not me, not anyone.
“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” — Romans 3:23
We might try to live decent lives, compare ourselves to worse people, or do good deeds to balance the scale, but none of that changes our standing before a holy and perfect God. Romans lays it bare: our words deceive, our actions hurt, and we live as if God doesn’t matter. The law of God wasn’t given to boost our ego. It was given to expose the disease of sin. It doesn’t cure the problem; it reveals how deep it runs.
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” — Jeremiah 17:9
“Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” — Romans 3:20
Trying to be good enough will never cut it. No one can be declared righteous by rule-keeping or rituals.
“Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ…” — Galatians 2:16
But then the tone shifts. Right in the middle of this bleak picture comes a spark of hope. “But now…” Two words that change everything. God Himself stepped in. He made a way for sinful people to be made right, not through our works, but through the finished work of Jesus Christ. Jesus lived without sin, died for our sins, and rose again to offer forgiveness and eternal life to all who believe.
“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” — Romans 5:8
“Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.” — Romans 4:25
And how do we receive this gift? Not by effort, not by tradition, not by religious climbing, but by simple, trusting faith.
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” — Romans 10:9
Salvation is not a paycheck, it’s a gift.
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.” — Ephesians 2:8–9
This offer is for everyone. No matter your background, your past, or your failures, God’s grace is greater.
“Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” — Romans 3:24
This truth humbles us. It strips away all bragging rights. No one will stand before God and say, “I made it on my own.” Not a chance.
“Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.” — Romans 3:27
God doesn’t show favoritism. The door is wide open to both Jew and Gentile, to the religious and the rebellious. He welcomes all who come to Him by faith.
“For there is no respect of persons with God.” — Romans 2:11
And this salvation doesn’t just forgive, it transforms. Through Jesus, we are not only pardoned, we are changed.
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” — 2 Corinthians 5:17
Now, some might think that trusting Jesus means tossing aside God’s commandments. Not at all. Faith doesn’t cancel the law—it fulfills its purpose. The law shows us our need for a Savior, and once we’re saved, the Spirit of God enables us to live in a way that honors Him, not to earn salvation, but because we’ve already received it.
“Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.” — Romans 3:31
“That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” — Romans 8:4
Romans 3 is heavy. It confronts us with the reality of sin, the failure of self-righteousness, and the weight of judgment. But it doesn’t stop there. It leads us to Jesus, the only One who can save.
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” — John 14:6
If you’ve ever wondered where you stand with God, Romans 3 holds up a mirror and then points you to the cross. You don’t have to clean yourself up first. You don’t have to try harder or be better. You need to believe—right now, right where you are. Jesus is the way home.
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Read / Listen
1 Chronicles 22:1-23:32
Romans 3:9-31
Psalm 12:1-8
Proverbs 19:13-14
New Testament: Romans 3:9-31
Summary:
No One Is Righteous
The Righteousness of God Through Faith
Romans 3:23
Overview: Romans 1-4 Click Here to Watch Video
Romans 3 puts every single one of us on trial, and the verdict is terrifying. “There is none righteous, no, not one.” We’re not just flawed, we’re enslaved to sin, corrupt to the core, and headed for judgment. This passage tears down every excuse, every comparison, every shallow claim to goodness. Whether Jew or Gentile, religious or rebellious, moral or immoral, we all stand condemned before a holy God.
But why does this matter?
Because until you understand how lost you are, you’ll never grasp how great the Savior is.
This message walks through the courtroom of God’s justice, from the arraignment to the indictment, all the way to the verdict. And just when the guilt feels unbearable, Romans opens the door to the only hope that saves.
If you’ve ever wondered where you really stand with God, you can’t afford to ignore this truth.
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