Lord, Save Me1
Our last reading taught us our own connection with Adam’s fall. We will now give careful consideration to a passage of Scripture that shows the depravity2 of human nature flowing throughout all times and all places.
Romans 3:9-26
In this portion Paul quotes the words of several Old Testament authors, puts them all together, and presents them to us as a terrible, but accurate, description of fallen mankind. The Jews loved to brag about their ancestry. The apostle asks the question,
9What 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. (As an old commentator puts it, “whole evil is in man, and whole man in evil.”3) 10As it is written;
“None is righteous, no, not one;
11 no one understands;
no one seeks for God.”
Paul begins by quoting David in Psalm 14 and applying his words to the whole human race. Whether Jew or Greek, human nature is always the same. There is no hope of finding anyone who is naturally righteous.
12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good,
not even one.”4
13 “Their throat is an open grave;
they use their tongues to deceive.”5
“The venom of asps is under their lips.”6
14 “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.” 7
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.” 8
18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” 9
Notice that the disease of sin has affected us in both our character and nature. We are sinful in every way; inside and outside, in mouth, feet, heart, and eyes. We may not have committed all the evils mentioned here, but they are all in our nature. Our situation and our education may prevent us from being as bad in practice as we are in our heart, but as the poison is in the snake even though it does not bite, so sin is always with us.
What bloodstained sins these are that infect us! How divinely powerful must the medicine be that can cure us from such deadly diseases.
After this charge against human nature, there follows a declaration that no one can be saved by the works of the law, because everyone is already guilty. The evidence of their guilt and damnation is already made clear in the book of the law.
19Now 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. 20For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. (We use the law correctly when it convinces us of sin and forces us to the Savior. However, we completely abuse and distort the law if we hope to be saved by obeying it.)
21But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it-- 22the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction.
There is no difference. All are guilty. It is impossible for anyone to be worthy of salvation. Justification by faith is the only way.
23For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
What a precious gospel verse. May every member of this family understand it and have a part in the substitution of the Lord Jesus. We are all fallen. May every one of us be justified freely by God’s grace through faith in the blood of the Lord Jesus. Let us sincerely pray to be cleansed by the atoning death of Jesus, who suffered the curse of the law for his people.
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1 Matthew 14:30
2 depravity - sinfulness
3 John Trapp (circa 1656)
4 Psalm 14:1-3
5 Psalm 5:9
6 Psalm 140:3
7 Psalm 10:7
8 Proverbs 1:16’ 3:15-17
9 Psalm 36:1
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