Adapted from a Davon Huss sermonhttp://www.sermoncentral.com/

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Bad to the Bone

Romans 3:10-26

Romans 3:10 NET just as it is written: "There is no one

righteous, not even one, 11 there is no one who

understands, there is no one who seeks God. 12 All have turned away, together they

have become worthless; there is no one who shows kindness,

not even one." (Ps 14:1-3) 13 “Their throats are open graves,

they deceive with their tongues, the poison of asps is

under their lips." (Pss 5:9; 140:3)

14 “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness." (Ps 10:7) 15 "Their feet are swift to shed blood, 16 ruin and misery are in their paths, 17 and the way of peace

they have not known." (Isa 59:7-8) 18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes."

(Ps 36:1)

19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it

says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be

silenced and the whole world may be held

accountable to God. 20 For no one is declared

righteous before him by the works of the law, for

through the law comes the knowledge of sin.

21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God

(which is attested by the law and the prophets) has been disclosed —22 namely, the

righteousness of God through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there

is no distinction, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. 24 But they

are justified freely by his grace through the redemption

that is in Christ Jesus.

25 God publicly displayed him at his death as the mercy

seat accessible through faith. This was to demonstrate his righteousness, because God

in his forbearance had passed over the sins previously

committed. 26 This was also to demonstrate his

righteousness in the present time, so that he would be just

and the justifier of the one who lives because of Jesus'

faithfulness.

World Trade Center Bombingsand the unifying effect.

Do you remember how the country seemed to come

together? The togetherness is disappearing gradually, and

the human race is getting back to the business of

fragmentation. President Bush did a good job of keeping

people together. This becomes more challenging as time goes

on.

Why does mankind always splinter and divide?

Mankind is united on this point: All are sinners.

We can unite around this. We must unite around this. The gospel is the greatest unifying message in the

world. It begins with putting us all on the same

footing. We are all depraved

sinners.

Written by the Apostle Paul.Paul was chosen by God to be the chief expounder of God’s

Message to the world, and this letter to the Romans is Paul’s most complete explanation of

his understanding of God’s plan. It is deep. Paul was a scholar of the first degree. The righteousness of God is

the central theme of the letter. God is the only

standard of righteousness.

Introduction to Romans

Many of us consider ourselves good people when we compare ourselves to others but when

compared to God, we are all off course.

In the same way that there is and can only be one magnetic

North and that all other points of the compass find their identity

in relationship to North, so righteousness is found solely in

the character of God, and all other standards of righteousness

must be determined with reference to Him.

In Romans 3:10-26 we have a description of God’s

message. We need to recognize that

all of us are sinners: Verses 10-20 give us a

description of ourselves. We need to have the cure

applied: Verses 21-26.

Without these two things,mankind will never be

unified.

The Sinner’s Condition: 10 just as it is written:

"There is no one righteous, not even one,

SINWe are all unified in this

condition. Sin can be compared to a

disease or a sickness.

Any solution to the human problem that fails to deal with

the root cause of sin is no more a solution than cold

compress on a fevered brow is a cure for the infection causing

the fever. We deal with the symptoms of a virus; we do not

know a cure. Mankind deals with the symptoms of sin, but

never deals with the real problem, the problem of sin. Mankind does not know of a

solution. NO one is righteous.

Those people who have no interest in God and those who blatantly live in opposition to God are heading south from

God’s north and are clearly at odds with Him. Paul drives

home the point because some people, many people even in our day, believe that they are

close enough. Close only counts in darts, horseshoes, hand

grenades and nuclear war and we are not talking about any of

those. Close does not count.

Slothful: 11 there is no one who understands, there is

no one who seeks God.Our minds are so affected

by sin that there will always be some degree of deficiency in our grasp of

the truth as it is to be found in the knowledge of God. Most people are too slothful to really seek the

truth. Minds do not want to seek out the truth.

Ask our society what is the main problem and most of

the responses will basically be spiritual in nature. This does not mean that man has an inclination to go

looking for God to fill the void. Many people

recognize the problem but they refuse to go searching for the solution themselves

because they are too slothful.

If they find the solution, they do not want to do it

because it requires something on their part. Pass the buck. Somebody

else’s problem. Do not want to take responsibility. No way. Most people know that they need to attend church but they are too lazy or too preoccupied

with worldly concerns to do so. If mankind really sought

God, this place would be full.

Stubborn: 12 All have turned away, together they

have become worthless; there is no one who shows kindness, not even one.”Without exception, the

human race has a bent to evil and a bias to

disobedience. worthless, The word here really

means: render useless, spoil. Meat that goes bad, salt that loses it savor, so

mankind is pitiful in its deteriorated uselessness.

no one who shows kindness - Wait a minute. I know people who do good.

Some contend it would better be translated if the

word "habitually" were included.

There is not the one who habitually does goodness;

there is not as much as one.

(Wuest’s Commentary)

Again, the concept of goodness is defined with reference to God himself. God is good all the time

while man is not.

What Paul is saying is that there is no one who

habitually does good apart from God.

NO ONE!

13 “Their throats are open graves, they deceive with

their tongues, the poison of asps is under their lips." 14

“Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness." 15

"Their feet are swift to shed blood, 16 ruin and

misery are in their paths, 17 and the way of peace

they have not known." 18 “There is no fear of God

before their eyes."

The Sinner’s Character

Tongue: 13 “Their throats are open graves, they deceive

with their tongues, the poison of asps is under their lips.”

Obscene and depraved vocabulary. We see the barren deadness from the language of the world. Flattery- Sugar

coated statements and flattery expressed in cultured, modulated, perfection are no less demonstrations of human perversity because they are

designed for deception.

Even the cultured use their knowledge and large vocabulary for evil

purposes. More dangerous than those who are crude.

Asp- A snake that has a small sac of deadly poison

in its mouth which can have devastating, paralyzing

effect on the victim of its bite.

James 3:8 NET But no human being can subdue

the tongue; it is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

Talk: 14 “Their mouths are full of cursing and

bitterness."The meaning is that they are in every way full of wickedness; for if they speak fair, they deceive

and blend poison with their flatteries; but if they draw

forth what they have in their hearts, bitterness and cursing stream out. (CalCom)

Matthew 12:36 NET I tell you that on the day of

judgment, people will give an account for every

worthless word they speak. 37 For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be

condemned."I wish I could take those words back, however, I

really meant them.

Traits: 15 "Their feet are swift to shed blood,

Mankind loves violence. Just turn on the TV,

violence everywhere!

Trouble Makers: 16 ruin and misery are in their paths,

Mankind is a being of destruction. Miseries follow

our paths. We are all troublemakers in one way

or another.

Trouble: 17 and the way of peace they have not known.” 18 “There is no fear of God

before their eyes.”Mankind does not understand

peace. Man is uncertain of where to find peace. Mankind tries to find peace in various

areas. This results in confusion in his efforts to discover it and

live in the good of it. Every man’s best and most noble

efforts at peacemaking result so often in increased hostility.

Just look at the Middle East; between Israel and

Palestinians.Isaiah 57:21 NIV "There is no peace," says my God,

"for the wicked."Paul really defines the

central issues. No fear of God. To fear God and to

keep that fear before the eyes means to respect God

for who He is and to constantly keep that

knowledge of Him before us in all activities of life.

Human beings who do not respect God as their Creator

can never understand the mystery of their own being.

Those who fail to respect Him as Judge will never approach

moral concerns with any seriousness. Those who do not know Him, as Savior can never be motivated to love as those

whose hearts have been overwhelmed with the love of God as shown in Christ. They cannot understand love apart

from this.

It should be stated here that Paul does not mean to

say that all the characteristics of sin listed

above are in evidence in every person. At least some of them are in operation in

every person.

How do we know what sin is?

We didn’t know until God told us by laying it out in

the law.

19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it

says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be

silenced and the whole world may be held

accountable to God. 20 For no one is declared

righteous before him by the works of the law, for

through the law comes the knowledge of sin.

Keeping a journal so we keep every aspect of the

law will not make us acceptable to God.

The law made us aware of our unworthiness so that we would accept the cure

when offered.

21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God (which

is attested by the law and the prophets) has been disclosed —22 namely, the righteousness of God through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction, 23

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. 24 But they are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is

in Christ Jesus.

The Sinner’s Cure

25 God publicly displayed him at his death as the mercy seat accessible

through faith. This was to demonstrate his

righteousness, because God in his forbearance had

passed over the sins previously committed. 26

This was also to demonstrate his

righteousness in the present time, so that he

would be just and the justifier of the one who lives because of Jesus'

faithfulness.

Purging: 21 But now apart from the law the

righteousness of God (which is attested by the

law and the prophets) has been disclosed —22a

namely, the righteousness of God through the

faithfulness of Jesus Christ for all who believe.

Here’s a different thought, more pleasant one, hopeful

one.We can be free from

impurities and defilement apart from the Law. The

Law is the one who makes us aware of our condition.

It cannot purify us. Our sin condition is

removed.

Problem: 22b For there is no distinction, 23 for all

have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

 How can this be?

We are again faced with our problem. God is all holy

and righteous. We are sinful, unrighteous, and

unholy.We are going to do wrong.

Pardon: 24 But they are justified freely by his grace

through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.God has come to our

rescue. Justified, just as if I’d never sinned.

Redemption- To deliver by paying the ransom. We

were under bondage, under slavery to sin, but Christ came and bought us and

freed us.

The payment was Christ’s blood. Christ voluntarily surrendered his life unto

the Cross-to pay the blood price for our freedom from sin. We were waiting the

execution, but Christ came and pardoned us.

Patience: 25 God publicly displayed him at his death

as the mercy seat accessible through faith. This was to demonstrate

his righteousness, because God in his forbearance had

passed over the sins previously committed.God rightful could have

punished us forever. God could have let his creation

self-destruct, but the Creator decided to offer

forgiveness and reconciliation with no

strings attached.

Christ helped to give God patience with us.

Propitiation- A gift that turns away wrath.

For example: A man is getting home late so on the way he buys a dozen roses.

Wife meets him at the door…

Christ is our propitiation.When his blood cleanses us and pardons us, God sees the blood of his Son and

has patience with us.

Plan: 26 This was also to demonstrate his

righteousness in the present time, so that he

would be just and the justifier of the one who lives because of Jesus'

faithfulness.

God is just. He will punish sin. However, God is

merciful and gracious. He sent Christ who makes a

way back to God. He is both just and the justifier.

Many people say that they are good people and that

their good works will justify them. Even people who

have no particular love for Christianity, when asked

what they feel about meeting God, will usually answer that they expect things will work out all

right because what they have done has been pretty good and they estimate it

will be good enough to make the grade with God.

In this whole section Paul is telling us that it just

doesn’t work.

Much of his life Paul tried to be justified by his works and in his heart He knew

that he failed.

Stuart Briscoe- When I was in training as a Marine, I

remember one particularly grueling exercise where we

were deposited in the center of Dartmoor,

England. We were told to make our way on foot to a certain point on the map more than fifty rugged

miles away.

As we had done a similar journey the previous day, slept

out on hard ground for a number of nights, and been

brought slowly to the point of physical and mental exhaustion, we knew that it was going to be

a long day. What we didn’t know was that my partner’s

feet, which had a tendency to blister, would become so badly

worn after a few miles that they would become like pieces of raw

meat.

When I realized he was in pain, I took his equipment and added it to mine. Later

I supported him on my shoulder as he hobbled

along, but it became increasingly plain to me

and to the colleagues who caught up with us that he wasn’t going to make it.

But he was made of stern stuff and he insisted that he would keep going, that we should go

on and stop worrying about him. After many more

excruciating miles, however, he came to the point of admitting he was through, and then I was

able to pick him up, put him across my shoulders, and carry him the rest of the way. He had no option but to trust himself to me to do for him what he

was incapable of doing.

It was hard for him to be so humiliated, but it was his

sole recourse.

It is hard for proud people like Paul and other good

people to admit that there is no way of justification through self-effort, but

only through faith in Jesus Christ.

Peter knew Jesus was the only way to eternal life.John 6:66 NET After this

many of his disciples quit following him and did not

accompany him any longer. 67 So Jesus said to the

twelve, "You don't want to go away too, do you?" 68

Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words of

eternal life.

Ephesians 1:7 NET In him we have redemption through

his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to

the riches of his grace 8 that he lavished on us in all

wisdom and insight.

forgiveness of our trespasses, sins, are through his blood. How is the blood applied to my life?

Acts 22:16 NET And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized, and have your sins washed

away, calling on his name.' Our sins are washed away in baptism, hence, that is when we come in contact

with the blood.