No One Is Righteous: Understanding Our Sinful Condition

Dec 14, 2025    Pastor Josh Smith

We live in a world that loves to make excuses for sin, but God's Word cuts through every justification we create. Today's truth is heavy, but it's necessary: there is NONE righteous, no not one.


The Jews had incredible advantages - they received God's Word, Jesus came through their bloodline, and they were God's chosen people. Yet even with all these privileges, they still fell short. Sound familiar? We do the same thing today. We pray desperately for God's help but refuse to live out His commands. We want His protection and blessings without His expectations and accountability.


Here's the uncomfortable reality: without Jesus, our throats are full of rottenness, our tongues are deceitful, our lips carry poison, and we leave destruction in our wake. That includes gossip, lies, unforgiveness, bitterness, pride, and so much more. Your heart is not naturally good - Jeremiah 17:9 tells us the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked.


But here's why this matters: God takes sin seriously because He loves you seriously. He sent Jesus to become your sin and die in your place. That cost was too high for Him to ever overlook or condone sin.


The law was never meant to save us - it was meant to show us we need a Savior. It points us directly to Jesus. And Jesus didn't come to destroy the law but to fulfill it with grace, love, and forgiveness.


Real question: What's your reaction when confronted with sin? Denial? Defensiveness? Justification? When you truly accept Jesus, you die to all of that. You take those thoughts captive and make them obey Christ.


Christianity isn't about rules and regulations - it's a lifestyle, a heart condition, a relationship with Jesus. Love isn't a feeling; it's obedience. Jesus said, "If you love me, keep my commandments."


Where are you today? Are you just a hearer of the Word, or are you a doer?