“…There is no one who is righteous, not even one; there is no one who has understanding, there is no one who seeks God. All have turned aside, together they have become worthless; there is no one who shows kindness, there is not even one.”

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I remember the first time I hiked an Alaska mountain. I thought I was fit. I worked out regularly, did the running thing. I was confident in my ability to reach the summit without breaks, pushing onward to take in the renowned sights from the heights far above all those who chose to stay at home that morning.  

Do you remember your first time? You may have thought the same thing, but I’m guessing we had the same experience. That mountain humbled me. It demanded leg strength and cardio endurance I would have more likely linked to the Tour de’ France competitors. I was too confident. This activity was beyond my skill level at the moment.

Paul speaks of our righteousness the same way in Romans. The first several chapters he describes the sinfulness of the world he sees – many blatantly living in sin who just don’t care, moralizers who justify actions and talk big, and the Jewish people who boast about the greatness of their law but break it all the time! And he asks the church, have we exceeded this? Are we better?  

The answer, of course, is no. We are all sinners. Romans 3:10-12 says: “…There is no one who is righteous, not even one; there is no one who has understanding, there is no one who seeks God. All have turned aside, together they have become worthless; there is no one who shows kindness, there is not even one.”

Don’t misunderstand – there are many who desire to be righteous. But they cannot produce that on their own. They try hard, they are committed to getting it right, but they just don’t have the innate ability to be righteous. People aren’t basically good – they’re basically sinful.  

Sinfulness is universal to all humanity and its effects are both individual and corporate. Sin affects the person and the community. No one is exempt or excepted. What’s worse is Paul says our sinfulness makes us worthless. The church body loses potency when individuals turn aside from God. Just like when a person falls back from the group on a hike, the photo at the top is missing something.  

We must acknowledge our need for God’s righteousness. We cannot produce our own. Our lives are incomplete without it. The community is missing something when we don’t live God’s righteousness.  

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Some people don’t care to climb a mountain, they’ll never experience mountain climbing victory. Some talk a big game, but never really reach the top because they don’t have time, or they choose a different activity today. They hold themselves back. Some are moralizers, they blame the gear or weather. There are always more excuses.

The truth is, to be a great hiker, you need to give yourself to the mountain. We aren’t good enough the way we are. We must spend time on it. Let our lungs and legs get destroyed to gain the strength to do great next time. Our righteousness is the same. We must give ourselves completely to God because we aren’t good enough on our own, the way we are. We have to let him crush our sinful nature and teach us to be strong through the ministry of His Spirit. Then we’re more than talkers, more than people with cool gear. Then we are what we claim to be.  

This is a great way to begin a discussion with a friend. I think we’ve all experienced physical exhaustion or a need to be stronger. I also think we have all felt spiritually exhausted and a desire to be stronger. There are parallels here that really work! Look for a chance this week to try it out, you might be surprised by the honest conversations people will have with you. If our sinfulness makes the community weaker, then spiritual conversations cause iron to sharpen iron!  

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Let’s pray that God would make it happen:  

Lord, I want you to be glorified through me. Please let your Spirit continue to transform my mind and life. This week as I encounter people, please make me aware of ways to speak your truth and love to their needy hearts. May I be a person of grace whose confidence in you creates great conversations that lead people to you. In Jesus mighty name, Amen.