Vs 9 Romans 3:9
(9) What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;
We know from verse 2 that the Oracles, the Spoken Word, then written down, the Torah was given to, not the Jews alone, but to Israel. God had just given these people the law, but it is often in my mind that the children of Israel were still at the foot of mt Sinai in the wilderness when God also presents the sacrificial system in Leviticus so when they mess us this is how to fix our relationship with Him! We are all under sin, that’s why it is ridiculous to accuse holiness people of being self righteous. No! The only good thing in me is the Holy Ghost! I don’t walk in holiness to be saved, I walk in holiness because I’m saved!
Romans 3:10-19
(10) As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
(11) There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
(12) They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
(13) Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:
(14) Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:
(15) Their feet are swift to shed blood:
(16) Destruction and misery are in their ways:
(17) And the way of peace have they not known:
(18) There is no fear of God before their eyes.
(19) Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
John Gill was an English Baptist that lived and preached in the 18th Century in the same church that Charles Spurgeon pastored 100 years later.
As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one. The several passages cited here, and in some following verses, are taken out of the Psalms and Isaiah; and are brought to prove, not only that the Jews are no better than the Gentiles, being equally corrupt and depraved as they; but also to show the corrupt state and condition of mankind in general: and the words are not always literally expressed, but the sense is attended to, as in this passage; for in the original text of Psalm 14:1 The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.”, it is, "there is none that doth good"; from whence the apostle rightly infers, "there is none righteous"; for he that does not do good, is not righteous; and therefore if there is none on earth that does good and does not sin, there is none righteous upon earth, "no, not one" single person.
Romans 3:20
(20) Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
Job 15:14-16
(14) What is man, that he should be clean? and he which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?
(15) Behold, he putteth no trust in his saints; yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight.
(16) How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water?
Romans 3:21-23
(21) But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
(22) Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
(23) For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
vs 23 sums it up. You don’t have to be a serial killer to miss the mark. Even with the Holy Ghost we are still dependent on His mercy and grace for our salvation.
The Apostle Paul tell us in Galatians 5:9:
A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.
Read Brother Bernards The Message of Romans page 89 note on verse 23
Romans 3:24
(24) Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
Being justified freely. What does that even mean? In the United States our nation is big on things like “free health care” for certain groups of people. If you are in a certain economic class you can get food stamps and for the user that amounts to free food. The problem is it isn’t free.
Margaret Thatcher, Prime Minister of the UK from 1979 to 1990 famously said; “The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money.”
Certain people get angry with our government because what they are actually doing is taking the money that they have taken from the American people and give it to other people that the government believes need it more. Nothing is free including your salvation!
Understand, we come empty handed to God with nothing to pay. You can start behaving yourself right now and live the rest of your life perfectly and still receive condemnation. You my dear listener have no way of paying for what you have already done up to the moment you began your perfect life.
The writer says in Hebrews 9:22
(22) And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
John the Baptist said; John 1:29
(29) The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
It takes that blood of our Passover Lamb, Jesus Christ to pay for those sins that we commited!
1 Corinthians 6:20
(20) For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
John 14:6
(6) Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Back to Romans;
Romans 3:25
(25) Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
Webster’s definition of propitiation is; The act of appeasing the wrath and conciliating the favor of an offended person
Romans 3:26
(26) To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
So His blood buys us what we could never buy for ourselves. We are clothed in His righteous!
Revelation 19:7-8
(7) Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
(8) And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
Amen! What a Mighty God we serve!
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Colossians 2:9
(9) For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.