There is none righteous, no, not one:
WHY?
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Romans 3:10,23
The fact that all have sinned, puts us all in a position or condition that disables or makes it impossible for us to do a anything (good or bad) to escape the consequence of sin which is death, Romans 6:23. The reason we can do nothing in our own power to escape this dead condition is because we are all confined under sin; we are born with a fallen nature, and the condition that sin puts us in is that of death [that is to say if you are not saved whether you know or don't, God sees you dead, or separeted with him].
“And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins:” Ephesians 2:1
Sin is what brought about this death. This is so because SIN as a nature, as a condition that makes death possible, was passed on to all through one man Adam. Adams original nature was CHANGED to that of SIN. And as men born after him, we all inherited this nature. And are therefore called sinners because we have SIN!
Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: Romans 5:12
“And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh...” Colossians 2:13.
We are in every way in likeness or similar to Adam untill we are saved and we are made into the likeness of he who saved us!
1 Corinthians 15:47-49
47|| The first man [is] of the earth, earthy: the second man [is] the Lord from heaven.
48|| As [is] the earthy, such [are] they also that are earthy: and as [is] the heavenly, such [are] they also that are heavenly.
49|| And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
These are few of many examples which are clear of our state after that sin entered and affected every man through one man Adam. The main point is to clearly show us the state of man being seen dead before God! The condition of mankind is dead!.Though we dont see ourselves dead spiritually, but the fact that we all die in the flesh, is prove that all have sin and that's why the bible says that all have sinned! Romans 3:10, 23. Not only are we able to see our true nature by these verses, but they are to help us seek true permanent solution to the problem. You can't be mopping an elndless flow of water for an hour without realise there is a source of lickage which needs to get closed!
Now get this clear that when the bible declaires mankind to have sinned, its not saying now start doing good to be seen holy or be holy, or get forgiven or earn any favour or to reverse the consequences of us being found guilty. Rather, to begin with, it is to show us how rotten and lifless we are before God and secondly to makeshow us and make us understand the fact that we can't do anything good to help us escape this state! (thats to say it won't work). This declaration also helps us to see and understand what God did about our problem! Good works won't save you, thats why Romans 3:20 starts with therefore, no one can't get holy or seen as one by doing good, after in the previous verses stating that man is fallen. Therefore, that man is fallen, good works afterwards can't get him saved, forgiven or seen right or holy before God!
Therefore by the deeds of the law[which are good deeds or works] there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
The fact being that you are already with sin [and its a nature everyone is born with due to being born in the likeness of Adam] good deeds are in no position to save you and the shameful fact is that you already stumbled and do stumble, and not only that we all physically die because of SIN, (even given a week or year, you will stumble; thats the effect of sin in us). On the other hand, God offered mankind the greatest solution. Its shameful because, doing good to be seen holy is total clear pretense before God! Its like trying to bribe God of the impossible. If a power line is cut, you can't resort to join it with lines made of cotton or wool! In a million years there can't be any achievement!
Despite how sinful one is, no matter how many times you have sinned, no matter how great your sins or sin seems to be, there is a thing that God did that you and I, (or anyone else) should never get to hell! It’s not only what God did that you should never get to hell, but what He did so you could forever be forgiven! Not only that but what He did so you could forever be with Him in Heaven, and not only that but that you could know from deep down your heart that all this is true and a reality, that you are HIS, forgiven and saved! All this is in one package of what God did!
What God did so that you should never get to hell is not what you are commanded to do or must do so you can’t be in hell. It’s nothing man thinks he can do. This thing was acomplished by Jesus, and through it man can never be in hell, yes! Chains of hell loosed! It is what God did through His Son Jesus Christ.
“For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God [God did by] sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh... Romans 8:3.
The verse does not end here but first get it that from the verse we get the knowledge that there is something the law could not do in that the law was weak, not on its own but because of the weakness of the flesh and not necessarily the weakness of the law. The law is weak through the flesh. What is it that the law could not do? The same verse reads that it was not able to condemn sin. The full verse reads;
“For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin,condemned SIN in the flesh:”
To make things easy, to understand better what condeming sin is all about so we understand what the law can't and couldn't do, is by considering the effect, that condeming sin has on man; Due to condemnation of sin in Christ by Christ, man comes to be holy, forgiven and justified before God, he gets saved! This is what the law can't and could not do; it can't get any saved, forgiven or justifed. When Jesus condemned sin in His flesh He thus justified us [made us holy], he delt with the fallen nature (SIN) in us! Clear to say that by the law we couldn’t be holy and no one can be Romans 3:20, Galatians 2:16, Galatians 3:11. On verse three(of Romans 8) it reads that Jesus came in the likeness of sinful flesh. This is shocking and yet clear, what the verse says is that man has sin yet Christ came in our likeness (LIKE MAN WITH SIN NATURE!). He- Jesus came on account for SIN to rescue us and not condemn us or judge us. 1 Timothy 1:15 puts it clear when it says why Christ came on earth.
“This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.” 1 Timothy 1:15
Who are sinners? All are sinners! Why?
“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” Romans 3:23. All are sinners
And the end of the human race was Romans 6:23
but God through Christ offered a solution and did what no man can do so that we can never get to hell!!
First look at 1 Corinthians 15:3, 4
“For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:”
What significance is His(Jesus') death and his resurrection for our sins? Because of Christ died; through His blood, the bible tell us all that happened to Christ happened to us and in us and the moment we simply TRUST in what was already accomplished, all that happened is simply seen to be part of us and us by God.
Romans 3:24-26. Because of the redemption that is in Jesus (remember he came to save or redeem sinners) we are freely justified by His grace. So a sinner is being justified freely by God's grace, how? By faith in Him for what He did for us, Ephesians 2:8 reads we are saved by grace through faith. Through Jesus' blood we were cleansed from sin and sins paid for through the death of Christ! We become the righteousness of God through the crucified Christ! 1 Corinthians 5:21. We also have the righteousness of GOD on the basis of faith alone in Christ,Philippians 2:9.
Romans 3:21, 22 “But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is BY FAITH of(or in) Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: ”
What brings or brought man close to God when he was far away because of SIN is the blood or the death of Jesus Christ on our behalf. A sinner can be able to get saved by only trusting in what God accomplished through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Wherefore remember, that ye [being] in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus YE WHO SOMETIMES WERE FAR OFF are made nigh by the blood of Christ. Ephesians 2:11-13
Your response to what God did that you should never get to hell, by sending Jesus to die for us and even to accomplish all that was required which we can have now. Is only to have faith in Him, to believe in Him that it's by the free grace that we get saved through him and we do have all that was accomplished through faith in Jesus, it is simply accepting the truth as it is! Romans 5:9 continues to explain the significance of Jesus death;
“Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath [Punishment] through him.”
Salvation is now! This verse confirms it for us that we shall truly get saved from the coming wrath if we will only believe in Jesus. He died for our sin to pay for its debt on our behalf, forgave us and rose to confirm all that he did so we can truly be just. It would not be truth if he did not rise from the dead, it was impossible for the giver of eternal life still remaining in the grave till now, claim to be giver of life! Romans 4:25, explains the significance of Jesus' resurrection. And 1 Corinthians 15:20 confirms the fact that Jesus really rose from the dead.
Therefore we are justified, we are made holy or declared innocent though we deserved punishment, but because Jesus paid for our debt in full! We are holy and innocent through Jesus. Not only are we justified but we are reconciled to God for there was enmity between man and God because of sin. People sometimes can say they have forgiven wrong doing of someone but never allow to talk again or have anything to do with each other. On the other handGod wanted us to be in relationship with Him through Jesus Christ.
“For if, when we were enemies, [BUT] we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life”. Romans 5:10
We are both sure we are now saved which gives us hope that we shall be saved- that is to say we shall experience the reality in totality, of what we already are.
When we trust in Christ, how God sees us is different or changes and nothing is able to change that; we are seen holy, alive (or no longer dead because of sin) and blameless before God. We don’t present ourselves holy by what good we have done, no! But this comes to be, through Jesus by HIS DEATH and we, simply trusting this.Ephesians 1:4-6 is clear that we are accepted in Christ even if society or anyone can reject us for what we have been and who we are, but God accepts us and we have all our sins forgiven!
Colossians 2:13 “And you, being dead in your sins and the Uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses”
This salvation is not a thing which we can have today but tomorrow not, no! Its not a process, its not maintained by man or his work's. God has predestined us for something which we will really have and is forever! Just Believe! All that you need to get to heaven, God already accomplished through Jesus death and it’s all by grace through faith in this which Jesus did. It is not anything we can do, it is all that JESUS did. If you believe what Christ did on your behalf; paying for your sin debt in full so that you can not or would never pay for it on your own. If you believe he died to save you and that he forgave you through the blood, you can now be sure YOU ARE SAVED, from today (NOW) until He will come to get you home, together with all that believe in Him. Jesus dying on the cross and accomplishing all that was required for our wholeness, is what God did that you and I or anyone else should never get to hell!
God accepted the sacrifice of Jesus as perfect - His blood, by which we have our sins forgiven and washed, was shed for us or on our behalf, Ephesians 1:7 and Colossians 1:14. We ought to thank God always - daily, for such great love which was poured out in full by the Spirit who has been given to us having believed the gospel of our salvation In Jesus Christ; Romans 5:5, 8, Ephesians 1:13,14.
The message of the cross, is the only solution to man's SIN. Man is only required to trust, believe or accept the account of what was accomplished through the death and resurrection of Christ as true; That is taking God at His word. Sad thing is that to some this is foolishness, and or they are simply blinded. Whatever case it is the result is the same, PERISHING.
For the preaching of the cross is to them THAT PERISH foolishness; but unto us which ARE SAVED it is the power of God. 1
Corinthians 1:18
But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that ARE LOST: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them WHICH BELIEVE NOT, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
2 Corinthians 4:3-4