Are people basically good? See how Romans 3:9–18 answers with God’s evidence: all are under sin, none is righteous, and Jesus is a complete Savior.
Introduction: Hard Truth with a Saving Purpose
Illustration: The defendant has spent weeks arguing, explaining, reframing, blaming, qualifying. “Yes, but…” “That’s not the whole story…” “You have to understand…” The prosecutor, though, brought exhibits: documents, recordings, witness statements—evidence that doesn’t care about spin. One by one it’s piled up. The voice that was talking most gets quiet. The verdict is about to come down.
Some of you walked in today with big questions: Who am I? Why am I here? What happens when I die? Romans 3 goes straight for the root issue we all share: we’re sinners. This is hard truth with a saving purpose: God tells us the bad news so we’ll stop reaching for false hope—and reach for real hope in Jesus Christ.
Summary: where we’re at in Romans and where we’re going in this passage.
From 1:18 on, Paul’s been making one big point: God’s wrath—his holy opposition to evil—is revealed against all human sin. He started with the idolatrous person, then moved to the moral person, and finally the religious person. He exposed them all—outward religion looks impressive, but it can’t fix the heart.
In 3:1–8 Paul answered the last round of religious objections. He’s listened patiently and answered them. A final question comes: “Are we Jews any better off?” (3:9) In other words, “What about our covenant privileges?” Paul’s answer is blunt: No. Not at all. Whether you grew up in a Jewish synagogue, temple of Zeus, or rejected it all—whether you’re a church kid or never opened a Bible—everyone’s under sin. He does something decisive here: he stops debating and starts quoting Scripture—what a faithful Jew would respect. He doesn’t quote one verse, but a chain of them—so that the truth about us lands with the weight of God’s Word. Romans 3:9–18 is God’s evidence file on the human condition: none righteous…no one seeks God…no fear of God. That’s God’s verdict. In all our words, ways, and worship, the real issue is that you need a Savior. Whether you grew up around church or avoided it all your life, the problem and solution are the same. This isn’t “bad vs. good people.” It’s sinners who need a Savior.
1:18–3:8 has been intense—difficult sayings, careful Old Testament exegesis, and theological concepts you don’t want to handle sloppily. Here’s 3:9–18 in plain words: we sin, God saves. Say that with me: “We sin, God saves.”
Relevance: What does this have to do with me?
It’s easy to hear Romans 3 as an irrelevant first-century argument: Jews vs. Gentiles. When you hear these terms, it just means in our terms “church people” vs. “non-church people” or “moral people” vs. “messy people.” Both need rescue.
It’s meant to expose a reflex in your heart: I’m the exception. In the words of Kendrick Lamar, “They not like us.” “My upbringing, education, political instincts, work ethic, church background, family values”—“I’m better than most.”
Paul’s point is that none of those can answer the deepest question: What am I before God? Not before my neighbors, not compared to the worst headlines—before the Holy One who sees my heart. When that’s the question, Romans 3 gets uncomfortably contemporary. It doesn’t target their scandalous sins; it targets our excuses. This is about me—and you—what we need to stand before God with hope.
Theme
So, here’s what we’re going to rack through this text: Because all people are under sin, Scripture exposes us as totally unrighteous and godless, so our only hope is a complete Savior—Jesus Christ. The Bible’s that simple! We sin, God saves. Amen!
Transition: Paul starts with the charge in verse 9. Stated plainly: in God’s eyes, the divide isn’t “religious vs. non-religious people.” It’s forgiven vs. unforgiven.
The Charge: Everyone Is Under Sin (v. 9)
Paul answers: no, not at all (v. 9). This is his settled conclusion since 1:18–3:8: we have already charged that all…are under sin (v. 9).
Look at his leveling move: both Jews and Greeks—insiders and outsiders, religious and irreligious—are under sin. This means not merely committing sins, but under sin’s curse, dominion, and guilt.
God’s “wrath” or holy opposition to evil—not a mood swing—is being poured out against the whole Gentile world (1:18).
The Jew who condemns the Gentile for his sin is condemned as well (2:1).
The Gentiles who do not have the law but do the things of the law will be judged by that law of conscience.
The Jew who has the law but does not do the things of the law will be judged by that law (2:12–16).
We all love exceptions. The fine print. “This applies to everyone…except me.” If we’re honest, we almost always read ourselves into the exception clause. “Surely, I’m the exception. Surely, my background, my intentions, my knowledge, my moral record, my church attendance—surely that makes me ‘better off.’”
Paul removes the exception clause: both Jews and Greeks are under sin. No one gets to stand outside it and say: “That’s true for thee, not me.”
You don’t get to grade yourself on a curve. You can’t hide behind your advantages. The simplest thing Paul says here is this: no one is the exception. All are under sin. Not some. Not most. How many? “All.” It’s that simple.
Transition: And because our hearts always look for loopholes, God’s own Word removes every one of them. The Bible keeps the main thing: we sin, God saves. If any of this is making you feel exposed, you’re not alone—most of us spend our lives trying not to feel exposed.
The Summary Proof: No One Is Righteous (vv. 10–12)
This ungodliness and unrighteousness is universal. Note the emphasis on the cascading none…not one…no one…all…not even one. Everyone is a sinner.
Paul ironically cites from the Jewish Old Testament to prove this. These verses in context described the ungodly world—but they’re apropos of the Jews!
“None is righteous, no, not one.” Righteousness speaks of our standing before God. Until you stop trying to be the man, you won’t run to the God-man who saves.
“No one understands.” He’s saying the mind is darkened by sin.
“No one seeks for God.” He’s saying our will or desires seek the self apart from God’s grace.
“All have turned aside.” He’s saying our direction on the path of life isn’t the straight and narrow, but completely off-course.
“Together they have become worthless.” He’s making a crass illustration of our sinful state—apart from grace we’re useless.
“No one does good, not even one.” He’s saying our deeds, the fruit of our life, are rotten.
This isn’t “some people” language. It’s no exceptions language. The reason? It’s so simple: we’re sinners and God loves to save sinners just like you.
If you only remember three words from this passage, remember Paul’s drumbeat: not even one. That’s a wrecking ball to our favorite spiritual defense: “I’m not perfect, but…”
Romans 3 isn’t mainly exposing the obviously scandalous person. It’s exposing the subtle self-justifier—the person who’s always ready with a “But I meant well.” “But I’m not like them.” “But I’m trying.”
“That sounds depressing.” But know this: the Bible wounds to heal. God isn’t exposing you to shame you; he exposes you to save you. He shows you the truth so you’ll stop trusting yourself and start trusting Christ. So, let the Word of God do what it’s meant to do: not produce despair, but honesty. The Lord isn’t saying, “You have no hope.” He’s saying, “Stop placing your hope in yourself.”
Transition: Paul has shown the universal verdict—none righteous. Now he shows it’s not superficial—sin reaches to every part of us.
The Anatomy of Sin: Every Aspect of Everyone Is Corrupted (vv. 13–18)
Paul’s litany of Old Testament verses gives us a head-to-toe portrait to declare that every aspect of everyone is sinful.
Words (vv. 13–14): throat…tongue…lips…mouth. What about them? They’re death, deception, venom, curses, bitterness.
Ways (vv. 15–17): feet…paths. What about them? They’re murderous, ruinous, miserable, without peace.
Worship (v. 18): eyes have “no fear of God.”
When the Bible talks about the fear of God, it doesn’t mean panic or religious terror. It means God is real to you—you reverence him, he’s weighty, holy—so you live in light of his presence. No fear of God means God doesn’t factor into your choices; he’s background noise to you. But the moment God becomes real to you, everything changes. Not that you’re perfect—but that God is no longer irrelevant.
These verses take us back to 1:18ff. The human race wallows in ungodliness and unrighteousness. God is pouring out his wrath on us. And he’s giving us over to even more ungodliness and unrighteousness. This is why no one seeks for God (v. 11), there is no fear of God before their eyes (v. 18), and none is righteous (v. 10). Our root problem is that in the sinful state God has left us in, we don’t honor God as God. If there is no fear of God before our eyes here at OURC, then even church can become performance, right? Bible knowledge can become a hiding place and excuse before God!
What Paul is showing us is that sin isn’t only what we do; it’s what we are apart from grace—disordered in thoughts, words, and deeds, because we’re disordered in relation to God. Again, here’s the simple truth of Romans: we sin, God saves.
After that chain of Scripture—throat, tongue, lips, mouth, feet, eyes—what’s left to argue? Sin doesn’t stay politely in one category. It doesn’t only show up in the “big scandals.” It spreads—like smoke through a house, or like a scent in a room. You can try to keep it contained, but it leaks out into everything—our words, our ways, and our worship.
Application: So let this text get painfully practical.
If our throat, tongue, lips, and mouth are implicated, then this is about the way we speak this week: the sharp comment to your spouse, the impatient tone with your kids, the cutting sarcasm at work, the online post that drips contempt, the “truth” you used as a weapon, the gossip you called “processing.”
If our feet and paths are implicated, then this is about the trail we leave: the argument you keep replaying, the relationship you keep punishing, the cold shoulder, the passive-aggressive silence, the quickness to defend yourself and the slowness to make peace. Paul says our paths naturally produce ruin and misery and that we have not known the way of peace.
Then he goes deeper: if there is no fear of God before their eyes, that means the root problem isn’t merely horizontal; it’s vertical. It’s not merely that we break rules; it’s that we live as if God is weightless. What do you fear most? What do you protect most? What do you obey first? That’s what you really worship.
Transition: Romans 3 doesn’t leave us room to shift blame. It leaves us room for one honest response: confession. If verses 9–18 are true, the first step toward God isn’t avoiding him—it’s owning up to this to him.
Gospel Bridge
How bad is it? None righteous…no one seeks God…no fear of God.
Because we’re this bad, the gospel of Jesus Christ is so good!
It’s that simple! You’re a sinner; Jesus is the Savior. Romans can be complex, but the main thing isn’t complicated. We sin. God saves.
And because the problem is total—none righteous, no one seeks God, no fear of God—God doesn’t send a partial helper. He sends a complete Savior.
Because our sin nature is this deep, the gospel penetrates to the root and saves us from sin.
If our problem reaches our words, we need Someone with a clean mouth.
If our problem reaches our ways, we need Someone with a perfect path.
If our problem is no fear of God, we need Someone who feared the Lord perfectly and brings us back to God.
Jesus Christ is that Savior—his righteousness for your unrighteousness, his peace for your ruin, his reverent obedience for your godlessness. So, the call of this passage isn’t “try harder.” It’s “stop claiming exceptions, confess your sin, and come to Jesus.” And you don’t have to wait until you’re better—come as you are!
If you’re wondering what that means—here it is in plain words: tell God the truth about your sin. Turn from it. Put your trust in Jesus—his death and resurrection—for forgiveness and the beginning of a new life. Don’t say to him, “I’ll do better.” But, “Jesus, save me.”
Conclusion: We Sin, God Saves
At the bottom of the human problem is this: There is no fear of God before their eyes. Until that changes, nothing else will.
That’s exactly what grace does—God gives what he demands. He creates the fear of the Lord where there was none, through Jesus Christ.
So don’t leave Romans thinking, “That was complicated.” Leave with the main thing: we sin, God saves. Confess your sin. Stop defending yourself. Come to Jesus. He’s a complete Savior for real sinners…Just. Like. You!
Church, what’s the main thing? We sin, God saves.