01.7.3. Gods Just Judgment On Universal Depravity
Chapter 7iii - God’s Just Judgment On Universal Depravity
Human depravity is described (Romans 3:9-18), demonstrated (Romans 3:20), and condemned (Romans 3:19). All people enter this world depraved. We are rotten from head to toe: “...the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrefying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment” (Isaiah 1:5-6). The depraved sinner is passive in regeneration. The Greek word for being born from above (gennao) is always in the passive voice. Since it is not in the middle voice, we do not participate in our deliverance. Regeneration is by God alone. Like the leper, we are totally at God’s mercy. We realize that no sin has been committed that we might not have committed, and whatever we blame in others can be found in our own hearts. We know things about ourselves that we would not tell anyone. We recognize Romans 3:10-18 as the true portrait of our own hearts.
Fourteen horrible indictments against man are recorded in Romans 3:9-18.
The following three things are developed in the indictments:
(1) the fact of depravity (Romans 3:9-12),
(2) the practice of the depraved heart (Romans 3:13-17), and
(3) the cause of sinning (Romans 3:18). The apostle did not exaggerate the account that he gave concerning the depravity of those who were under the law of conscience, the law of Moses, or even under the purer morality of Jesus Christ.
FIRST-The fact of depravity is taught in Romans 3:9-12. All without exception are under sin (Romans 3:9).
1. In the first of the fourteen indictments, God described man by saying there is not one righteous (Romans 3:10). This verse summarizes all that follows.
2. In the second of His fourteen indictments, God said that there is not one who understands (Romans 3:11 a). Everyone can talk about religion and give his opinion, even though he has never read the Bible. This is not true in any other science. Sin has incapacitated mankind for making spiritual and good moral judgments. The same thing can be said of mankind that was stated of the people of Nineveh during Jonah’s time: “...Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand...” (Jonah 4:11). A person may be an accomplished scientist or a profound scholar, but without the Spirit of wisdom that comes with regeneration, he cannot spiritually discern the things of God (1 Corinthians 2:14). Many local assembly members are destitute of moral and spiritual understanding. People who see no harm in this or that which they desire to do have no sense of guilt, and that is the symptom of an evil conscience. We must avoid the appearance of evil. Many try to see how close to the line of sin they may go. Where is the borderline? One might as well ask how close he can get to the fire without being burned. No true husband would ask how he might give the minimum of love and fidelity to his wife and how he may have the maximum of license. That is not the language of a Christian. Christians cannot serve the Lord and be continually hunting the borderline. No one can understand Biblical things and make Biblical judgments apart from grace and a knowledge of Holy Scripture.
3. The third indictment is that there is not one who seeks after God (Romans 3:11 b). The claim that wherever one goes people are seeking the Lord is erroneous. One in earnest about seeking the Lord has already been given the desire to seek Him. We seek Him because we have first been sought and found by God.
4. The fourth indictment is that all turned away (Romans 3:12 a) This is quoted from Psalms 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.” The Hebrew word translated fool means the withered one, like flowers, leaves, or fruit. Since the understanding is withered by sin, man has no affinity for God. Everyone has turned from God’s way to his own way: “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Proverbs 14:12). The way to destruction is broad, and many are going down that path (Matthew 7:13). “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes...” (Proverbs 12:15). He hugs his own brain until he strangles it. He thinks his own wit is better than God’s wisdom. Sin comes with a show of reason; it “seemeth right.” Some doctrinal truths are more important than others, but everything is important in its place. There is a way that seems right, but the ways of death are many, such as willful ignorance, formality, doing one’s best, self-righteousness, etc. But these are not products of grace. He who makes a bridge of his own shadow shall surely drown.
5. The fifth indictment is that together they became worthless (Romans 3:12). This reminds us of Romans 1:1-32. God gives people over to a worthless mind. All homosexuals have been given over to a worthless mind.
6. The sixth indictment is that there is no one who does good (Romans 3:12). Depravity prevents all people from doing anything pleasing to God apart from grace. In the Greek text, the translation of these words is “no not so much as one” in order to emphasize what he had said. Hence, it reads, “There is not one doing good, not so much as one” (translation).
SECOND-The practice of depravity is taught in Romans 3:13-17.
7. The seventh indictment is included in the practice of depravity-their throat is an open grave (Romans 3:13). This is taken from Psalms 5:9 -“For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is very wickedness; their throat is an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue.” Such persons are corrupt in themselves and infectious to others. Unlike diseases, good health is not contagious. Likewise, grace is not contagious. Spiritual health is God-given. The nature and character of persons without grace are described by the open grave. The perfect Greek participle used here denotes a permanent and not a frequent character.
8. The eighth indictment is the second of those included in the practice of depravity-with their tongues they keep deceiving (Romans 3:13). We use such expressions as smooth talkers and slick talkers. They speak flattery and deceit with hypocritical lips. Their speech is contrary to their nature. Their words invent, invite, and entice, so that their listeners are disarmed by compliments. Flattery is their means; hypocrisy is the motive behind the method. The water is sweet only that it might be bitter. It has been said that they are vilest when they are best; they are bitterest when they are sweetest; they are basest when they are noblest; they are most satanic when their ill garb is manifested in the spirit in which they manifest themselves.
9. The ninth indictment is the third of those included in the practice of depravity-the poison of snakes is under their lips (Romans 3:13). Some think the comparison is to the Egyptian cobra. This denotes a poisonous form of speech used for the injection of deadly corruption. The serpent signifies the crookedness of life and the readiness to inject his poison.
10. The tenth indictment is the fourth included in the practice of depravity-their mouth is full of profanity and hatred (Romans 3:14). Vulgarity is the most obnoxious form of speech. Slander is the most deadly, but profanity is inexcusable.
11. The eleventh indictment is the fifth included in the practice of depravity-their feet are swift to shed blood (Romans 3:15). That takes in the whole person. It begins with the head and goes down to the feet. Crime is the fruit of bitterness. Jesus Christ alone can solve the crime problem when He comes as King of kings and Lord of lords.
12. The twelfth indictment is the sixth included in the practice of depravity-destruction and misery are in their ways (Romans 3:16). Destruction is objective. Misery is subjective.
13. The thirteenth indictment is the seventh included in the practice of depravity-a road of peace they did not know (Romans 3:17). There is no peace apart from Jesus Christ, the Prince of peace. God alone has the answer. We do not know what tomorrow will bring, but we know who controls tomorrow. This is the reason the children of God have peace.
THIRD-The cause of all that is included in Romans 3:10-17 is recorded in Romans 3:18.
14. The fourteenth indictment is that the cause of sin is the absence of reverential fear before their eyes (Romans 3:18). We have already discussed slavish and reverential fear in a previous chapter. The whole world of mankind is charged with depravity (Romans 3:9-20). The following court scene will summarize these verses:
(1) The accused are all under sin.
(2) The judge is God.
(3) The jury is the deeds of the law.
(4) The charge is fourteen violations that we have considered (Romans 3:10-18).
(5) The prosecuting attorney is the righteous, holy law of God.
(6) The defense is that every mouth is stopped.
(7) The verdict is that the accused are guilty before God. In the sphere of the law, every mouth is silenced: “But we have known that whatever things the law says it says to the ones in the sphere of the law, in order that every mouth may be silenced and all the world may become guilty before God; for by reason of the works of the law no flesh shall be justified before Him; for through law is the full knowledge [epignosis] of sin. But now apart from law God’s righteousness has been manifested [perfect passive indicative of phaneroo], being witnessed by the law and the prophets, even a righteousness of God through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ, to all the ones believing; for there is no distinction; for all sinned and are coming short of the glory of the God” (Romans 3:19-23 -translation). This concludes the dark and bleak description of mankind. Preachers must tell people what they are before God whether or not they like to hear it. Since Romans 1:18, we have viewed sinners as helpless and hopeless apart from the grace of God. Against this dark background, God declared the remedy beginning with Romans 3:24. end of document