In both the Old and New Testaments, we read this phrase. (Psalm 14:3) says: “They have all turned aside, They have together become corrupt; There is none who does good, No, not one.” And again, this phrase is repeated in (Romans 3:12): “They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.”
Contrary to the humanist belief that all men are inherently good, the Bible states that mankind is universally sinful. So, who is correct? On the surface we know that man is capable and does good things. For example, people can volunteer to help the disadvantaged, say kind words, and do many other acts of generosity. And we know that even atheists can be philanthropists. But the biblical fact remains that all people are still sinful by nature and that no one is naturally inclined to either do good works or seek after God.
Sadly, many people think that because they sometimes do good things that they are good people and therefore, when they die, they will go to heaven. While Satan tries to convince us that we are good people, the Bible teaches us that we are sinners with, in the words of Jeremiah, a desperately wicked heart (Jeremiah 17:9). Not only that but God tells us in (Genesis 6:5): “Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” The undeniable truth is that man is totally depraved. Again, even the seemingly good things he does are ultimately done with sinful motives.
In a previous devotion I shared the following personal testimony to demonstrate the all-encompassing nature of sin. Back in 1981, I used to do volunteer work at a community center for mentally disturbed individuals in New York City. Twice a week I would donate my time to help feed, socialize with and listen to the problems of these hurting people. Years later, when I began to analyze my motives behind doing such a worthwhile activity, the answer suddenly became obvious. Back then there existed a great void in my life, and a desire to find meaning. I thought that this work would help fill that void in my life. The real reason behind my outwardly good deed was not to help others, but to help me.
The sad reality is that we all live in a state of depravity and not only does our sin nature make even our good deeds tainted by sin, but none of our good works can undo the certain penalty of sin. Since Satan’s job is to make you believe that you are basically good then he can also make you believe that you don’t need the message of the gospel. Thankfully the Bible teaches us that we are all sinners and are spiritually bankrupt in the eyes of God. This knowledge is crucial to leading us to repentance and accepting the only remedy for our cursed state – Jesus Christ!
My friends, the good news is that even though we are not good, God is very good, and the Gospel is indeed good news! When we trust in Christ, we become a new creation and take on Christ’s righteousness. We now become members of the family of God and are transformed from sinners to saints, from bondage to free. And there is nothing that can compare with our new life in Christ and being forgiven from a lifetime of sin. Restoration via transformation through Christ is the only pathway to true peace and joy now and eternal life in the life to come. No wonder we are told to: “Rejoice always.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16).