9 What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin,
ALL are sinners. No one is any better than anyone else. Jew or Greek...all under sin. All already charged.
10 as it is written:
“None is righteous, no, not one;
11 no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good,
not even one.”
I read these words, and I see the condemnation. No one, not a single person can be righteous. EVERYONE has turned aside. So you see it.. TOGETHER the people have become worthless. It's like this whole group mentality thing. Making choices to turn aside from God. So that not even one person does good. Not a single one.
13 “Their throat is an open grave;
they use their tongues to deceive.”
“The venom of asps is under their lips.”
14 “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 in their paths are ruin and misery,
17 and the way of peace they have not known.”
This is how God sees sin you know? At least that's my reading of this passage. How everyone has turned aside, no one is able to do good.. so we get this horrid picture of what sin looks like... all that bitterness and venom and misery. So much deception and ruin. This is what sin is. A people who know no peace. A people who not NOT known the way of peace... but how could they? They are a people full of bitterness, venom and deception.
It's a sad place to be in.
18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
Not only that.. there is NO fear of God. None. They simply don't get the thought of being in awe of God. Of knowing the fear of him as the Triune Lord.
11 no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good,
not even one.”
I read these words, and I see the condemnation. No one, not a single person can be righteous. EVERYONE has turned aside. So you see it.. TOGETHER the people have become worthless. It's like this whole group mentality thing. Making choices to turn aside from God. So that not even one person does good. Not a single one.
13 “Their throat is an open grave;
they use their tongues to deceive.”
“The venom of asps is under their lips.”
14 “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 in their paths are ruin and misery,
17 and the way of peace they have not known.”
This is how God sees sin you know? At least that's my reading of this passage. How everyone has turned aside, no one is able to do good.. so we get this horrid picture of what sin looks like... all that bitterness and venom and misery. So much deception and ruin. This is what sin is. A people who know no peace. A people who not NOT known the way of peace... but how could they? They are a people full of bitterness, venom and deception.
It's a sad place to be in.
18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
Not only that.. there is NO fear of God. None. They simply don't get the thought of being in awe of God. Of knowing the fear of him as the Triune Lord.
19 Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. 20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.
So the law of God is written on the hearts of all. We know this from previous verses. People who are under the law are people under sin. People who are accountable to God. We are. We are accountable to God, and when we are under the law we cannot be justified. The law brings knowledge of sin. No justification through the law.
The law shows us sin.
Sin means no peace.
Sin means no knowing God, a turning from the truth written on our hearts.
So this leaves me here... is there no hope then?
If we are all under the law and the law means sin... then how can we be justified?
This is where today's passage leaves us... asking the question.
How can we then be justified?
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Such comfort in the words of this passage. I find them strengthening, knowing I can never be what He is.
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