Romans 3:10-11 - No One is Righteous

Romans 3:10-11 -
10 as it is written,

“There is none righteous, not even one;
11 There is none who understands,
There is none who seeks for God;

Message: No one is righteous; no one is right before God on their own and no one seeks for God.

Time: Paul probably wrote Romans between A.D. 57-58 while he was at Corinth in the home of his friend and convert Gaius. He planned to go first to Jerusalem to deliver a gift of money from the Gentile churches to the poor in Jerusalem. Then he hoped to visit Rome on his way to Spain. His hopes were later realized, but not as he had expected. When he finally arrived in Rome in early A.D. 60, he was a prisoner under house arrest (Acts 28:11-31).

What the Lord is Saying:

Paul now begins to explain verse 9 and what it means that all men are sinners. This message is only of value if God's standard is perfection. If all man has to be is good enough then it isn't important to show that no one is righteous.

Why are these verses so important? To me, they are here because people quickly think they are good. Partly, because there is so much in life that reinforces that we are good. The hardest thing to do, it seems, in sharing Christ with others is helping them to see that they are not completely good and that none of their good merits God's acceptance. [The other big problem I see is people misunderstand God's forgiveness and think that when God forgives their life doesn't have to change very much because God will always be there to forgive them of their sins.] 

Verse 10 begins with "as it is written." I think this is important because what Paul is saying is this thinking didn't originate with him. But, he is simply bringing forth something already taught in scripture (the Old Testament). And so for 9 verses Paul will quote from various passages:

• Romans 3:10-12from Psalm 14:1-3 and Psalm 53:1-3
• Romans 3:13 from Psalm 5:9 and Psalm 140:3
• Romans 3:14 from Psalm 10:7
• Romans 3:15-17 from Isaiah 59:7-8 and see Isaiah 48:22
• Romans 3:18 from Psalm 36:1

As we begin in verses 10-11, Psalm 14:1-3 and Psalm 53:1-3 states, "The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they have committed abominable deeds; There is no one who does good. 2 The Lord has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men To see if there are any who understand, Who seek after God. 3 They have all turned aside, together they have become corrupt; There is no one who does good, not even one."

Verse 10 is a complete statement. Nothing more really needs to be said. This lecture could end at verse 10. "There is none righteous, not even one." To be righteous is obviously the goal here. It is the standard. Paul originally told his readers or hearers in Romans 1:16-17 that the "righteous person will live by faith." And in Romans 2:29 it is by the Spirit that man is declared righteous.

So from verse 11 on, Paul will do what Paul does and that is further clarify what this means when he says that no one is righteous.

On a side note, this message of none righteous is not a popular message nor a message prevalent today. We would much rather talk about how great God is or even how we are to be a better person. And sometimes I feel like that what is missing from my church is the weekly reminder that we are sinners. God is great but man is also not simply, "not great" but more specifically man is a sinner. Sin and hell seem to be subjects that are not talked about very much, so it seems.

The Greek word for "understands" is suniemi and here it is in the present tense, to indicate that no one continually puts it all together to comprehend the truth about God and His demand for righteousness.

And "there is none who seeks for God." John 6:44, Jesus said, "No one can come to Me, unless the Father who sent me draws Him." Our tendency is to pat ourselves on the back and say, "look how spiritual I am" but the rightful perspective is to thank God for bringing His light to us. This should, therefore, make us want to pray. It is through prayer that we talk to God and request of God to save sinners. This is why Jesus came, to save sinners.

Do we really seek for God or are we instead seeking for the Lord's benefits in our lives? Do we really want Him or do we really want His blessings?

Promise: None righteous, none who understand, none who seek for God. That is a promise.