All Gone Out of the Way

2017-02-14

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; As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes. (Romans 3:9-18)

We have seen over the past many verses that all are under sin, whether with or without the law. Jews and Gentiles “are all under sin” (Romans 3:9). A lot meaning is packed in these four words. We under sin’s dominion. We can do nothing but sin apart from the grace of God. We are slaves to sin, as we will see in the Old Testament references in the next verses. We are completely under its control. It is not merely individual sins that we are slaves to, which may be true. It is the problem of being a sinner and being an enemy of God.

None Righteous, No, Not One

Romans 3:10-12 are quotes of Psalm 14:1-3 and Psalm 51:1-3. These Psalms open with “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.” This is similar to Romans 1:18-32, where humanity denied God and worshipped His creation instead. It is foolishness to deny God. Denying God results in wickedness. However, before we think we are immune to this accusation against the human race, every time we sin we are guilty of saying that there is no God. When we sin, we ultimately say, “God cannot see me when I am doing or thinking such and such.”

The word “understandeth” requires some attention. One of the verses I learned early on in the faith was Job 28:28, “And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.” If understanding is departure from evil, then we, apart from Christ, have no understanding.

With Their Tongues They Have Used Deceit

As Romans 3:10-12 talks about the nature of humanity, and the activities that result. Romans 3:12-14 emphasize the tongue. The Old Testament references include Psalms 5:9-10; 10:7; 140:3. The tongue is used for deceit; though God is the ultimate truth, the tongue lies. The throat as an “open sepulchre” shows how the tongue is used in uncleanness (Numbers 19:11-13).

The power of the tongue is also talked about in James 3:1-12. Here are some thoughts from that passage that explain the power of the tongue:

The tongue causes offense, which means it can do irreparable damage (James 3:2-4; cf. Matthew 18:6). It is a tool of pride (James 3:5; cf. the Antichrist in Daniel 7:8, 20-21). James even goes so far as to say that the one who can control the tongue is perfect (James 3:2).

The tongue can say something that starts small, but the words said spread like a fire (James 3:5-6). It can start rumors and lies, as well as hurtful things. The source of its fire is hell and is an entire world of iniquity! Also, the generational curse of the Jewish people was uttered by the tongue (Matthew 27:25). It is untamable, and it reveals the true motives of our hearts (James 3:9-12).

We are all condemned by the things that we say, and the tongue shows us how sinful we are before God.

Swift to Shed Blood

Romans 3:15-17 reference Proverbs 1:16 and Isaiah 59:7-8. In Proverbs 1:16, Solomon warns his son to stay away from people lying in wait to kill innocent people. His warning is that those who hang out with murderous people will become like them. In Genesis 4, we see that Cain’s and Lamech’s killing of innocent people caused the whole world to eventually become filled with violence. The sign of a decadent culture is the saturation of violence and murder. There is no peace with these people, and nothing but misery ensues.

No Fear of God

Romans 3:18 references Psalm 36:1. The first four verses describe the arrogance, iniquity, and deceit of the enemies of David. Once again, we think of Job 28:28, where the fear of the Lord is summed up by wisdom. Sinful humankind is foolishness apart from the grace of God, and the lack of fear of God sums up the depravity of human nature. As Fyodor Dostoyevsky said, “Without God all things are permitted.” If we do not fear God, there is no restraint of the evil we could potentially do.

Cross-References

Here are some of the Old Testament references found in Romans 3:9-18.