The reality of the situation of man is that he is born a sinner and is incapable of saving himself. People often think that they do not need God, but this text points out the truth of our fallen condition. Notice the language the Apostle Paul uses, ‘no one is righteous, not one person’ (vs. 10). This is devastating news considering Paul goes on to show exactly how completely fallen and destitute is man. His words are fallen, his actions are fallen, and his fear of God is non-existent. The conclusion of the text points to the fact that no man fears God rightly and, as such, stands condemned.
We often refer to the Gospel as good news. To rightly understand the Gospel as the good news, man must first understand the bad news. If we are not careful, our Gospel understanding can skip right over Hamartiology. We will declare mankind made in the image of God and skip right to the hope of the Gospel. We are excited to share how God saves, and surprised when the message is rejected. But, before we can get to salvation, we must explain the precarious nature of sin.
After careful reflection, please answer the following questions.
- Why is it essential to declare the truth about man’s fallen nature as part of the Gospel?
- How does pointing out the depths of someone’s sin help in evangelism?
- Why is it easy to skip over telling people how sinful they are?
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