“As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.” – Romans 3:10-12
Paul’s bold declaration is no mere opinion—he reaches deep into the well of Scripture to make his case. By stringing together passages from Psalms and Ecclesiastes like precious pearls, Paul paints a vivid picture of humanity’s spiritual condition. He’s not speculating; he’s showing us what God has already said. Paul knew there was no greater authority than God’s Word—living, active, and sharper than any double-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12). So instead of debating man’s character, he opens the scrolls and lets the truth speak.
And what truth it is—piercing and humbling. “None is righteous,” “None seeks after God.” These are not mild observations; they’re sweeping indictments. They confront every soul with the same verdict: depravity. No one is exempt—not the moral achiever, not the religious devotee. Paul isn’t saying mankind is merely flawed, he’s exposing a deep spiritual deadness. Our default posture is not toward God, but away from Him. Like Adam hiding in the garden, we cover ourselves and pretend we’re fine. But Scripture says otherwise: the human heart is ignorant of God and indifferent to His ways.
This spiritual blindness makes true seeking impossible—until God intervenes. John 6:44 tells us that no one comes unless the Father draws them. Seeking begins with God’s initiative, not ours. Once He touches the heart, a new desire awakens—a thirst like the deer panting for water (Psalm 42:1). That transformation is the sign of grace at work: when the soul begins to long for the One it once ignored. Isaiah 53:6 says, “We all like sheep have gone astray,” and yet Christ came as the Shepherd willing to seek and save the lost. The beauty of the gospel is that God doesn’t wait for us to find Him—He finds us.
So where does this leave us practically? First, it humbles us—we are not the exception to the rule. Second, it reminds us to lean on Scripture as our authority, not our assumptions. And third, it stirs gratitude: if you’re seeking God today, it means He has already begun a good work in you. Let that realization drive your worship, sharpen your prayers, and deepen your love for the Word. And when you hear Paul say “none is righteous,” don’t despair—rejoice, for the righteous One has come, and He has made a way for you to belong to the kingdom of grace.
“The indictment is universal and sweeping: ‘There is none righteous, no, not one.’ It is not merely that there are few exceptions, but that there are none. This is not man’s verdict upon himself, but God’s unerring testimony concerning him.” – Arthur W. Pink
surrendered devotions 