We Are All Guilty!
SCRIPTURE: Romans 3:1-20 
Read the passage
BIO: My name is Donna Speer and I have been married to my best friend for 38 years. God has blessed us with two children, who have each married wonderful spouses and now we enjoy four precious grandchildren. We have been members at FPCO for 36 years and are deeply grateful for the many ways this church body has ministered to each of us.
Through the years I have enjoyed volunteering in many areas within our church, beginning in the nursery, then children, youth and young adults. Participation in small groups has always been a consistent highlight. God called me to the position of Director of Weekday School 22 years ago, during 6 of those years I held the position of Director of Children’s Ministry as well. My greatest joy in life involves spending time with my family.
KEY VERSE: Romans 3:10 "As it is written: There is no one righteous, not even one."
CENTRAL TRUTH: We are all sinners before God. No one has the ability to produce righteousness.
DEVOTIONAL: We Are All Guilty!
Paul contends that everyone stands guilty before God. He tells his Jewish readers that they, like all other men, are sinners. No one will be exempt from God’s judgment on sin. It touches every race and every religion. We must all accept that we are sinful and condemned before God. How depressing! It doesn’t matter who we are or what we have done or what we are doing…we are condemned because of our own actions. There is no way around the fact that we are sinful through and through. We can never be good enough to please God on our own.
Paul uses Old Testament references to show that we in our present sinful condition are unacceptable before God. Have you ever thought to yourself, "Well, I’m not too bad; I’m a pretty good person"? Think again, have you ever lied? Hurt someone’s feelings by your words or tone of voice? Are you bitter toward anyone? Do you become angry when others disagree with you? In thought, word and deed we all stand guilty before God.
Originally God gave the Law to show the way to live; to be used as a tool. If anything, it was given to show us we are guilty. Paul is reminding the Jews that what they need is not the outward expression of religion, but an inward work of grace that converts the soul and makes the sinner right with God. The Law cannot clean us up, but it can create a hunger in us for the One Who can, our Lord Jesus Christ. The sooner we experience this hunger the sooner we realize our desperate need for a Savior to forgive us and help us become more like Him. Because God has created us in His image and he loves us, we are very valuable to Him. His greatest desire is for us to return to Him in faith, be forgiven and know the freedom to live a more righteous life because of what He is doing in us.
God is faithful in spite of our sin. Regardless of how wicked we may become, the Lord will never give up on us. It is through Jesus Christ, His righteousness and wonderful love that we receive eternal life. There is nothing that we can ever do to earn it; we just accept it as a loving gift from our heavenly Father. Praise God!
There is one solution for our sins and it won’t be found in doing good things or in being a good person. It will be found only in a personal relationship with Jesus.
QUESTION 1: Are there areas of sin in your life that are separating you from God? Confess them, asking God’s forgiveness and guidance.
QUESTION 2: If you are unsure of sinful areas in your life, take some quality quiet time to reflect, asking God to make you more aware.
QUESTION 3: Are you focused more on your outward expression of religion or your inward growth in God’s grace? Ask the Lord to lead your thoughts, words and deeds in a direction pleasing to Him.
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