There is none that understandeth,

There is none that seeketh after God.

There is none that doeth good, no, not one.”

“For ALL have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” Romans 3:10,11,12b,23.

In Romans 3:23 we have just read, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” One may ask, What is meant by “come short?” Some venture to give such explanations as these: A man owes a thousand dollars to another. Time is up, the payment is due. Though he must pay the full thousand dollars, he can only produce nine hundred fifty. He has “come short.” A dare-devil motorcyclist is attempting a dangerous stunt. He will ride at top speed up a ramp, hoping to cross over the Grand Canyon. The front wheel of his bike smashes into the far wall of the Canyon; he plunges downward to certain death. He has “come short.” A young man enters a county fair. There is a tall structure there with a bell at the top. A challenge is given. This fellow is strong, he can ring it. The mallet is brought down with great force, the ringer is launched skyward -- and comes within inches of ringing the bell. He has “come short.” I fear that this line of reasoning “comes short” of presenting the truth concerning man’s depravity.

Come short. hustereo. Fall short, be deficient, be Destitute, fail, be inferior, suffer need, be in want, be the worse.

Destitute. Without means of Subsistence, utter poverty, devoid of, lacking, abandoned, deserted.

Without Subsistence. Without existence, without provision, to be without the Source from which that which is necessary to exist is obtained.

And that, my dear friend, is where we stand: in utter poverty, abandoned, deserted, without existence, dead in trespasses and sins – and without the Source from which existence is obtained. “But God, who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses and sins hath quickened us together with Christ (by grace are ye saved”) Eph. 2:4,5.

As sons of Adam, we have utterly lost all: though a king’s ransom be owed we are penniless. We can in no wise begin to pay the debt for our sin. “Nothing in my hand I bring; simply to the cross I cling.” Shall I think to span the great gulf that is fixed between earth and heaven; by my good works launch myself safely across the canyon to the other side? “There is none righteous, no not one: there is none that doeth good, no not one.” Or shall I obtain a heavenly entrance by traveling the “broad way” of a godless religion? “They are all gone out of the Way, they are together become unprofitable” vs. 12. “There is a “way” that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the “ways” of death. Pro. 14:12.

There is a saying that has been used for years among many Evangelicals: “God voted for me to be saved; Satan voted for me to be lost --? and I cast the deciding vote!” But man can by no extent of the imagination be placed on a council, making himself equal with God and the devil: far be it that our Lord be found lowered or Satan be raised to a place of equal standing. What sayest the scripture? “Blessed is the man whom Thou choosest and causest to approach thee” Psalm 65:4.

A current phrase used in the presenting of modern day gospel urges men to “make a decision for Christ.” or “decide for Christ.”

“This phrase carries the wrong associations. It suggests voting a person into office - an act in which the candidate plays no part beyond offering himself for election, and everything then being settled by the voter’s independent choice. But we do not vote God’s Son into office as our Savior, nor does he remain passive while preachers campaign on his behalf, whipping up support for his cause. We ought not to think of evangelism as a kind of electioneering.”

J. I. Packer

What! Is not Christ the King of kings and Lord of lords; Sovereign ruler, the Creator of the universe? And we would dare speak of “voting” Him in: to give Him permission to be Savior and Lord of our lives?!!

The preaching of the gospel is often described as “bringing men to Christ.” But our task, first of all, should be bringing Christ to men; of setting Him before the eyes of men through the power of the Eternal Word. We must not think that our Lord is sitting passively with hands folded, waiting for sinners to approach – NO! He is ever busy; using the proclaimed Word, visiting sinners with salvation, awakening them to faith, drawing them in mercy to Himself. Are we to suppose that the Christ who is seen “pursuing lost sheep in the wilderness” to now be different - to be changed?

While this particular question might find some grounds for debate, there are to be known in the scriptures doctrines of exceeding importance which warrant no debate. But with furrowed brow we will argue over them anyway! Many are the things that have led us into error: we are told of our position; “This is what we (you) believe -- so don’t question it!” This, of course, leads to a deficiency in our capacity to understand and discern truth. Even one who is diligent in his studies may falter if those resources upon which he is depending are found to be in error. If we of our own volition refuse to hear, to consider, to carefully weigh anything that conflicts with our own way of thinking -- well, there’s little hope, unless the Spirit of God intervenes -- and that may well be in spite of us!

Which comes first: is it repentance? or is it faith? the New Birth, (that of being quickened, being made alive unto the operation of God in salvation?) We are told that God in His foreknowledge looked into the future; that He foresaw all who would seek Him, who of their own will would choose Him as Lord and Savior. Then God, when He saw that they would come to Him, predestinated them to eternal life. But the scripture does not say that some have a spark of righteousness; that some have understanding; that some seeketh after God; that some doeth good. . .No, the word used in every instance is NONE. Pray tell then, what is this secret inner “something” that man presumably has that enables him to overcome the bondage of sin; that he may do a good work of righteousness in repenting, exercising his own indwelling faith; to seek after God? Do all men possess this ability, this self power? Or is it limited to certain individuals? If so, then which ones - and why should they have it and others be without? This sounds almost like some sort of “limited atonement” doesn’t it!

It gets worse. I just heard a pastor deliver a sermon, the crux of it being that God is a Responder, not an Initiator: that man is to make the first move; he is to approach God; he is the Initiator. Really? Was it Adam who came walking in the Garden? Did he call out, God, where are you? Did Adam, Initiator that he was, devise a plan of redemption, whereby God might respond to it, that Adam might choose to accept it if it met his approval? Did Noah approach God: It’s going to rain, resulting in a great flood but I have the plans for an ark and I just want your approval and assistance in building it! Or, one day a heathen named Abram decided to move his family to the distant land of Canaan; he in settling there would become the father of a great multitude: he would be the Initiator and God would be the Responder: He would bless his efforts!

God is a Responder and not an Initiator? O.K. Man initiated sin; God responded in mercy and grace, Redemption’s Plan. Man initiated hatred; God responded in love. If man will believe and cast himself upon Christ as his only hope, God will justify him. But in this case, man calls upon God in response to a call. Again, God is the Initiator!

Oh my dear friend! What a great injustice is done to the Gospel and the Sovereignty of God, when men are presented with an assumption that they are anything but dead, lifeless creatures and without any power at all to initiate a reconciliation unto God.

What does it mean to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ? its reply is: it means knowing oneself to be a sinner, and Christ to have died for sinners, abandoning all self-righteousness and self-confidence, and casting oneself wholly upon Him for pardon and peace; and exchanging one’s natural enmity and rebellion against God of a spirit of grateful submission to the will of Christ through the renewing of one’s heart by the Holy Ghost. And to the further question still: how am I to go about believing on Christ and repenting, if I have no natural ability to do these things? it answers: look to Christ, speak to Christ, cry to Christ, just as you are; confess your sin, your impenitence, your unbelief, and cast yourself on His mercy; ask Him to give you a new heart, working in you true repentance and firm faith; ask Him to take away your evil heart of unbelief and to write His law within you, that you may never henceforth stray from Him. Turn to Him and trust Him as best you can, and pray for grace to turn and trust more thoroughly; use the means of grace expectantly, looking to Christ to draw near to you as you seek to draw near to Him; watch, pray, read and hear God’s Word, worship and commune with God’s people, and so continue till you know in yourself beyond doubt that you are indeed a changed being, a penitent believer, and the new heart which you desired has been put within you. . so do not postpone action till you think you are better, but honestly confess and give yourself up here and now to the Christ who alone can make you better; and wait on Him till His Light rises in your soul, as the Scripture promises that it shall do. Anything less than this direct dealing with Christ is disobedience to the gospel.

J. I. Packer

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