Faith is an integral part of our walk with God. Without faith, we simply cannot sustain our relationship with Him. It is faith that God looks at, not our righteous acts, adherence to laws, practices of rituals, or participation in religious ceremonies. Only faith matters, and this was the point that Paul wanted to drive home to his audience.
“There is no one righteous, not even one;
there is no one who understands;
there is no one who seeks God.
All have turned away,
they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.”
Romans 3:10-12 (NIV)
There is No One Righteous
Paul uses a combination of laments from the Psalms and the prophet Isaiah to strip away every false confidence that believers have placed in themselves. Whether Jew or Gentile, religious or irreligious, all stand equally under the power of sin. The law, though holy and good, does not make a person righteous before God; instead, it exposes the true condition of the human heart. Every mouth is silenced before Him because no one can claim innocence, goodness, or perfect obedience. Humanity’s thoughts, words, and actions all testify to a deep corruption within, revealing that apart from God, there is no true righteousness in anyone.
Do these words of lament uttered by the prophets and quoted by Paul still reflect the condition of believers today?
The same corruption, selfishness, violence, and rebellion against God that Paul described can still be seen all around us. Many people do not even know the true way to attain peace. For some, death is viewed as the only escape from suffering and the means to achieve peace. We continue to search for peace apart from God while rejecting the One who alone can offer lasting peace. When we remain in close fellowship with God and maintain a mindset centered on Christ, we are fully equipped to walk faithfully, regardless of what those around us are doing. Our walk with God should not be influenced by the condition of the world but by our trust in Him to lead the way.
At the same time, we must be careful not to become consumed with analyzing the wickedness of the world. If our entire focus is on the evil in others, we can slowly be shaped by the very darkness we constantly dwell upon, and in doing so, we may cease walking in the ways of the LORD. Instead, our goal should be to have the mind of Christ (Philippians 2:5–8), who humbled Himself and remained obedient to the Father.
It is against this dark reality of universal sinfulness that the greatness of faith is revealed. Since no person can attain righteousness through works or obedience to the law, righteousness must come from another source entirely. Faith becomes the means by which God credits righteousness to sinners, not because of their merit, but because they depend on His Grace.
Relying on the Law for Righteousness
Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.
Romans 3:19-20 (NIV)
The argument could then be made that ignorance of the law would prevent a person from being guilty of breaking it. Perhaps so, in matters such as Sabbath observance and similar ceremonial laws, as God does not hold people accountable for laws unknown to them. The problem was never with the law, but with the sinful nature of mankind that could not fully obey it. However, the point of the statement is that the law was given so that people might realize their inability to perfectly follow it and recognize their need for God.
Yet instead of humbling themselves, many deceived themselves into believing they were righteous through their own deeds and outward observances. Even so, their conscience continually condemned them because deep within they knew they could not truly fulfill the law completely. When people depend on their own works and efforts to fulfil the law, the law itself becomes a witness against them, revealing sin and leading toward eternal death.
However, when we walk closely with God, we begin to discern right from wrong through constant fellowship with Him, just as Adam knew the forbidden fruit was not to be eaten. But if we remain distant from God while depending solely on laws, rituals, and outward deeds for righteousness, we are only continuing on the path that leads to eternal death.
Righteousness Through Christ
But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile,
Romans 3:21-22 (NIV)
Is believing in Jesus alone enough for a person to be considered righteous before God?
Believing in Jesus is not merely about acknowledging His existence or making a verbal confession. Faith differs from person to person according to their understanding, spiritual maturity, and the situations they face in life. True faith is seen in how a person lives according to that faith. As James writes, even demons believe in God, yet that belief does not lead them to obedience or righteousness.
Genuine faith produces a transformed life that reflects trust in God through actions, attitudes, and obedience. When faith is real, it naturally becomes visible to others. A believer’s conduct, humility, love, and perseverance reveal whether their faith is alive and active. Faith is not simply intellectual agreement but a continual walk with God that shapes every aspect of life.
Why do believers sometimes create divisions and consider themselves superior to others based on background or perceived spiritual standing?
This mindset was prevalent during Paul’s ministry, when many Jewish believers considered themselves superior to Gentile believers because they believed they had come to God first. Sadly, the same attitude continues today, as believers often differentiate people based on identity, background, spiritual knowledge, experiences, or how long they have followed Christ, creating invisible ranks within the faith community. Yet such attitudes contradict the teaching and mission of Jesus, who corrected this very mindset among His disciples through the parable of the vineyard owner, revealing that God treats everyone equally regardless of their tenure with Him.
Justified Freely By His Grace
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
Romans 3:23-24 (NIV)
We have been told countless times that we are sinful and can never measure up to God’s standards, yet the second part of the message is rarely proclaimed or even fully understood — that we are still justified by His grace. Why is the first part of Paul’s statement so often emphasised, while the complete truth is seldom remembered or displayed on our refrigerator magnets?
The first part of Paul’s statement is often highlighted because it has frequently been used either as an excuse for people to continue in their sinful lives without doing what is right, or to portray mankind as a hopeless cause incapable of change. By constantly emphasising human sinfulness alone, many are left believing there is no point in striving to walk rightly before God.
Yet the purpose of exposing sin was to lead people toward seeking atonement and the forgiveness of their sins. It is like telling a person they are infected so that they will seek the proper treatment and relief. In the same way, the message of sin should drive people toward God’s grace and transformation, not deeper into despair or complacency.
God Himself provided the atonement that mankind could never achieve through the law or through righteous deeds. Christ was presented as the sacrifice for sin, and His blood became the means by which mankind could be justified before God through faith. Yet even after God demonstrated His righteousness so clearly through the sacrifice of Christ, many still refuse to truly believe in Him or trust fully in what He has done on their behalf.
Faith in Action
What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, discovered in this matter? If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”
… David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the one to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:
Romans 4:1-3&6 (NIV)
Paul draws on two towering figures of Jewish faith — Abraham and David — to illustrate the distinction between what is earned and what is credited. Salvation cannot be earned; rather, righteousness is credited to those who place their trust in the Lord. Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness long before he or his son Ishmael received the covenant of circumcision. Yet Paul’s critics insisted that righteousness could not be obtained apart from adherence to the law, including rites such as circumcision.
Through faith, Abraham became the father of both Jewish and Gentile peoples — all those who anchor their trust in God, regardless of their background. For Abraham, circumcision came after his justification by faith. It was given later as a sign and seal of the covenant — an outward confirmation of what God had already declared true of him inwardly. In due time, Isaac was born: the living fulfillment of God’s promise.
In the same way, we too have received our Isaac — our own sign and seal of God’s covenant faithfulness. The Holy Spirit dwells within us as the ultimate mark of belonging to God. So why are we chasing after outward signs and symbols, when the greatest sign of all already lives within us?
Even with Abraham as the clearest example, we still drift toward earning God’s favour because we project human nature onto Him. Even with Abraham as the clearest example, we still drift toward earning God’s favour because we project human nature onto Him. In human relationships, reward follows performance — so we assume God operates the same way. We also practice righteousness for an audience; we are generous when people are watching and quiet about it when they are not, which reveals that our motivation is approval, not genuine faith. And deep down, many of us carry a karma mentality — believing that enough good deeds will cancel out our sins, like a spiritual ledger we can balance on our own terms.
But this misses the entire point. Abraham was not credited righteousness because he was impressive or deserving — he was credited righteousness because he believed God, plainly and completely. Sin is not a negative balance that generosity can offset; it is a debt no human effort can repay. If good deeds were sufficient, the cross would have been pointless. God wants us to trust Him, not to impress Him.
Instead of resting in His grace and allowing our lives to be transformed by faith, we continue to depend on ourselves, our works, our identity, or our outward religious acts. Let us therefore heed Paul’s message to the Romans, which reminds us that righteousness has never come through human effort, but through faith in the One who gave Himself for us.
The Jordan Valley 
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