Not Even One

“All have turned aside, together they have become worthless; there is no one who shows kindness, there is not even one!” (Romans 3:12).

One of the keys to the gospel is the reality that we are all sinners. And this is one of the greatest sticking points to so many in our modern world. “What do you mean I am a sinner? I am a good person. Just ask anyone. I am not perfect. No one is, but I am a good person.”

The problem with this view of ourselves is twofold:

1. If we are good, we do not need a Savior. We just need to live out our inherent goodness. If one doesn’t need a Savior, the cross of Jesus is irrelevant.
2. This is not at all what the Bible says.

The scriptures tell us a totally bleak picture of who we are:

• “All have turned aside…” (Romans 3:12)
• “There is no one who shows kindness, there is not even one!” (Romans 3:12)
• “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23)
• “There is no one who does good” (Psalm 53:1)
• “There is no one who does good, no, not one“ (Psalm 53:3)
• “There have all gone astray, they are all alike perverse; there is no one who does good, no not one” (Psalm 14:3)

That’s the reason why we are told, “You were dead through the trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1).

There isn’t much a dead person can do. The only hope for the dead is a Savior.

That’s the good news of the Bible. Because God loves us, God sent his Son to die on the cross and pay the penalty of sin. God did for us, in Jesus, that which we could not do for ourselves. This is good news! This is kindness. This is God’s kindness to us.

“There is no one who shows kindness” because we cannot give what we do not have. Only after having received God’s love and kindness for us in Jesus, can we become ones who meet the practical needs of others in God’s way and in God’s time. This is not talking about doing nice things. This is about doing things that show others who God is.

The good news of Jesus Christ is good news because we are sinners desperately in need of a Savior. Amen!