No one does good, not even one.
—Romans 3:12
As human beings, we have a built-in bent away from God. You and I got it from our parents, and they got it from theirs, all the way back to Adam. This is why I say that sins don’t make us sinners, we commit sins because we already are sinners. You’re not a liar because you told a lie; you told a lie because you’re a liar by nature.
Now, you might push back: “Are you sure about that, Pastor? I know some good people.” And so, do I. Some of them aren’t even believers. In fact, I’ve met unbelievers who behave better than some folks who claim the name of Christ. So how can Paul say, “no one does good, not even one”?
Because this verse isn’t talking about human goodness measured by human standards. The standard for goodness is not the kindly neighbor down the street. The standard is the righteousness of God. That’s what Romans 3:10 establishes: “none is righteous, no, not one.” Jesus said only One is truly good, and that is God. And He set the bar where no one can clear it: “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
Measured against your neighbor, you might come out ahead. Measured against the spotless holiness of God, every one of us falls hopelessly short. The best human goodness, laid alongside God’s perfection, looks like a candle held up to the sun.
So let me ask you a direct question. Are you trusting in your own goodness to get you to God? If you are, then I have to tell you in love, you are trusting in something that is guaranteed to fail you. Human goodness cannot meet the standards of a holy God. It never has and it never will.
Oswald Chambers, the great devotional writer, said it plainly: “Sin is not weakness, it is red-handed rebellion against God.” We like to soften it, to call it a slip, a mistake, a flaw. But God calls it what it is.
And if you ever doubt how serious your sin really is, don’t look at yourself, look at the cross. Look at Jesus bleeding and dying there. That cross is the measure of what your sin cost. Only at Calvary can you grasp the true weight of your sinful nature, and only there can you find it fully paid for.
Stop trusting your goodness. It can’t carry you. Start trusting His righteousness, the only righteousness good enough for a holy God, freely credited to everyone who believes.
HUMAN GOODNESS CANNOT MEET THE STANDARDS OF A HOLY GOD. LOOK TO THE CROSS, NOT TO YOURSELF.
