What is the Clearest Gospel of All? Romans 3

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Universal Sin and Guilt
(Romans 3:9-20)

Imagine Paul’s epistle to the Romans being read to the church of Rome for the first time. In chapter one, Paul describes the wrath of God revealed against all ungodliness and the unrighteousness of man. The Jewish Christians would have assumed he was speaking about the Gentiles. Then, in chapter 2, he speaks to the Jews and says, “You Jews are no better than the Gentiles. Even though you have an advantage, you have the oracles of God, the fact that you have the knowledge of the law has not made you any better. You are all sinners.”

Then, in chapter 3, verses 9 to 20, he brings this whole matter to a conclusion. It is important that we understand this, because what Paul is describing here in this first section of Romans is not just ancient history. It is true of the world in which we are living.

Recently, a survey was made by a company called Frank Magid Associates concerning the attitudes [in the U.S.A.] towards religion and religious things. This survey was made in three mega-cities in this country: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Des Moines, Iowa; and Seattle, Washington. I want you to listen to what their conclusion was.

In Seattle, only about a third are currently affiliated with a church. Only one-third of the residents of Seattle feel a need for God. Instead, most in Seattle believe “that humans can live good and proper lives without a formal religious structure.” (They need to read Romans 1, verse 18 to chapter 3.) These participants feel that, through proper human interaction and communication with nature, people can lead full and morally upright lives. “We don’t need a God” — that’s our modern world, folks. “We can live good, moral, upright lives.” Is that true? Let’s see what the Bible says.

This section of Romans 3:9-20 is extremely important, as I have already said. What I am going to do is look at it in a general way first and then we are going to look at it in detail, because when we come to grips with this passage, then and then only, are we ready for the gospel. It is no use coming to Christ as you are unless you learn what Paul is saying here: that from head to foot there is nothing good in us; that salvation is entirely a gift from our Lord Jesus Christ. Okay, let’s look at verse 9:

What shall we conclude then? Are we any better?

“Are we Jews” (which is what we discussed in chapter 2 and the first half of chapter 3) “better than they?” (the Gentiles which we discussed in chapter 1, verse 18 to the end of the chapter). And what is his answer?

Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin.

Then, to defend this conclusion, he puts together a string of quotations from the old testament. He does not quote them in detail; you need to look at what the Bible teaches regarding man, whether you are a Jew or a Gentile.

Verses 10-12 are a quotation from Psalms 14:1-3 and Psalms 53:1-3 (which are virtually identical):

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, and their ways are vile; there is no one who does good. God looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. Everyone has turned away, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.

Verse 12 ends with a quotation from Ecclesiastes 7:20:

There is not a right

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