“None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” -Romans 3:10-12
We always think of ourselves better than we really are. “I’m not that bad,” we think. If you ask the average person if they are good enough to get into heaven, most would answer “yes.” There’s an inherent narcissism that we all share. We don’t judge ourselves by the same standards we judge others.
The Bible puts us in our place. It reminds us of our spiritual reality. There is NO ONE who desires to do good. There’s a fancy Christian-ese term we use called “total depravity.” It basically means we’re so messed up that we don’t even know how messed up we are. No one has the desire to do good.
Wait, but what about al the do-gooders in the world? What about those who want to save the whales and promote racial justice and the like? The Bible tells us any desire that we have to do good comes from God. This is part of God’s “general grace” for all of humanity. Whenever we see people doing good or even you doing good, it is by God’s grace and power that you even have that desire.
This passage reminds the hold sin has upon us. It reminds us that we are ALL in need of a savior. And this reminds us that Jesus is that savior.
Do you think of yourself better than you really are?
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