No One Is Righteous. Not even one.
Today, like most mornings, I will wake up and the first words out of my mouth are, Dad whom I refer to as God, thank you for waking me up. I've developed this rhythm over time into my morning routine for a few reasons. First, to acknowledge that without God I would not be awake, able to breathe, and most importantly speak, which are all essential factors that contribute to our human existence. Secondly, to express gratitude for God's grace in allowing me another day on earth, and lastly, I once read these verses in the Bible that have puzzled for years. It reads, "As it is written: 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)
NO ONE IS RIGHTEOUS. NO ONE SEEKS AFTER GOD. NO ONE DOES GOOD.
NOT EVEN ONE
I repeated these verses over and over until they became ingrained in my memory. To me, this was the biggest shock ever. How could the apostle Paul write such a thing, and more so, why would God instruct him to do so? Because of my innate ability to be wrong, aka pride, I wanted to test this theory to see if it was true. Each day I woke up, I sought to capture the first thoughts on my mind, to reveal if I was truly seeking God. To disapprove of the "no one does good" part, I attempted to reflect God, by doing what I believed were good things, and lastly, I would try my hardest at being righteous. However, looking back now, I can't help but laugh because I hardly understood what righteousness was, let alone how it looked in practice, but I continued my selfish venture.
To my surprise, every inkling of my abilities failed me miserably.
6:00 a.m.: I'm awake. I wonder what I should eat for breakfast today
6:00 a.m.: I wonder what I should wear to work
6:00 a.m.: Let me check my phone to make sure there are no emergency calls or
missed messages
6:00 a.m.: I need to complete my homework and some more tasks this week
6:00 A.M.: Somebody turn that alarm off
Day after day, I woke up with no thought, no urge, not even a desire to seek God. My first thoughts were not towards Him, and as a result, it became difficult to focus on doing good. Each morning, I moved further away from acknowledging the Lord. The righteous part of me was excluded overall. Over time, I began to interpret the idea that "no one does good" as meaning "no one is good."
However today, after reading these verses, I see them clearly. Because of the Fall of man in Genesis 3, all people became subject to sin and, in the literal sense, bound under the law. As a result, everyone was guilty before God, and as a just Creator, God is obligated to condemn sin, which means that we were all deserving of His wrath. Therefore, no one could be justified by their own deeds under the law, because all have fallen short of the glory of God. While it was difficult for me to understand at first, I realize now that Paul was truly telling the truth because no one was perfect, blameless, or innocent, not even one.
But God in his mercy, gave His only son, Jesus, who was blameless. Through his sacrificial blood, we have been reconciled for our transgressions. Sin no longer has dominion over us. For we are not under the law, but under grace (Romans 6:14). We can strive to do good and live rightly because we are now under the law of Christ. Through Jesus, we have been justified and made right before God.
As I reflect on this rhythm I have established in my life today, I see this as a small sacrifice in the morning which reminds me of this truth: without God, I am not good, I do not seek Him, and I am not righteous. I need the Holy Spirit to guide my mind, body, and soul toward the Lord each day. Because of God's grace through Jesus, I am reminded that God deserves my first words in the morning, my first breath, and even my first thoughts — not my phone, messages, the food I will eat, or the things I will do that day. It is only by God's grace and mercy that I am alive and will be sustained.
This very rhythm in my life continuously pushes me toward acknowledging that God is holy and I have been made whole. Each morning, I am reminded of this as I open my day with gratitude, saying, "Dad, thank you for waking me up." This is the least I can give because of what he deserves from me.
I encourage you this week to take some time to find your own rhythm, something you can offer as a sacrifice to God, who is deserving of the foundation of your routines. Humbly turn to Him, seek Him, do good, and above all, pursue righteousness, but remember, righteousness is not something we earn; it's a gift freely given through His grace, made possible by the redemption we have in Christ Jesus.
Prayer
God, I pray today that you would strengthen me to seek you, draw near to you, and adore you. You have established the law through faith in Jesus and have made us righteous before you. I was unworthy and deserving of wrath, but thank you for your son, Jesus, and his blood that has redeemed me. Today, I ask that you would open my heart and mind to know you more deeply. I pray that you will accept my sacrifice of obedience, and I pray that it would honor you. As I reflect you and acknowledge you in all my ways, not to justify myself or my deeds, but to remember your grace, which has already been freely given to me. Help me today to be more like you. In Jesus' name, I pray, Amen.