There is none righteous! Romans 3:10-12 (Why I am not a Calvinist, Part 3)

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)

Does that mean that God has to regenerate us before we can respond to Him?

Absolutely not--if you consider context. The context is that Jews are inherently no better than Gentiles when it comes to salvation. Sure, they were first in line, but they become saved the same way Gentiles do--faith in Jesus Christ.

Paul's point in Romans 3:10-12 is that simply being a Jew does not make one righteous. All are unrighteous, Jew or Gentile. Paul was using a quote from David (Psalm 14:1-3) to show that as a general rule, men are wicked. No one, Jew or Gentile, can be saved by good works.

#Faith #Calvinism #Romans3 #Righteous #canyouseekGod #Soteriology #gospel #grace #WhyIamnotaCalvinist #ReformedTheology #Arminianism #Jew #Gentile

[aworkman]

Thank the Lord that He also seeks us by sending preachers who share His written word, Ro 10:14-15, 1 Cor 1:21

[Ethel-npnq]

I'll need to rewatch this! As you explained it well without using much theological jargons that we ordinary people don't understand! There are really a bunch of errors about Calvinism that rubs me the wrong way! The first time I've heard a Calvinist preacher on the radio; something deep inside me that wanted to protest!

[williamgibbs]

You have done a good job in explaining this Ben. Thanks for doing so. I was glad you explained that you are neither a Calvinist nor an Arminain. Like you I am somewhere in between. My biggest problem with Calvinism is the Irresistible Grace.

[jeffrohm]

Ben, by the way, how many takes do you do? I noticed your videos you don't have starts & stops from start to finish. That is impressive! Anyway, good video again on this topic.

When Calvinists and Non-Calvinists explain the opposite view there always seem to bring out an extreme, an over-reach or assumption of what it may really mean. Everyone does it and in some cases it may be true. Suggesting that God "forces" salvation on those who he gives the gift of salvation to which I don't think a Calvinist with jive with vs "chose" could bring with it some other negative connotations.

I have trouble reconciling we can actually "do good" period-- in the context before salvation. Obviously common grace would allow for there to be moral things that are done by believers or non-believers....but before salvation, even good things are tainted by evil because all are children of wrath and have no desire for righteous things of God -- so what's the true definition of "Good".

I know other doctrines in these views start tying in and overlapping but so much of this seems to boil down to: the work of the holy spirit that draws & calls, regenerates and then the eyes are opened to respond vs the work of the holy spirit draws and calls, the believer responds by choice and then is regenerate. But if children of wrath are never interested and don't seek righteousness, then if we have a choice to respond in faith, wouldn't that mean that person must be regenerate if they respond? If not, everyone was already on the same playing field of being children of unbelief so can you choose unbelief again if you say no thanks?

By the way, maybe you should also do a video stating why you are not Arminian? I don't like labels either but do you find yourself close to any of the defined systematic theologies or denoms? And you can't say Biblical Theology because yes we all should be that at the end of the day because that is the point :)

[rodneytruitt]

I have been listening to a lot of debates over these things on YouTube. What I have heard pretty consistently is the emphasis on the person's interpretation. My bible is in English and I am American. I can read and understand English. That being said the emphasis should be on what the bible actually says, the words, not what we believe they say. In the book of Genesis it says God created the world, the heavens, fish, birds, man, ... etc in 6 days. That is what it says. People believe all sorts of things from 6 days to billions of years, to everything in between. But the bible says 6 days. You either believe what is written or you believe the interpretation, meaning, what someone believes about what was said. I put my faith in what is said, not what someone says they believe is the meaning of what is said. In Ezekiel 36: 22-38 it talks about God saving the people of Israel through regeneration. In vs 27 it says " And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinance s. " The bible says God will put His Spirit in them and cause them to walk in His statutes. He is doing something and causing something to happen. I believe it is by His doing we are in Christ Jesus, because that is what the bible actually says, 1 Cor. 1:30. If people would read the bible for what the words actually say and believe what is actually written we could all be one in Christ. But sadly people don't want to believe what is written they want to believe what they want it to mean, that's why we have so much division in the body of Christ. Thanks

[Nate-udyt]

1 John 3:7 NLT — Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous.

[collin]

For me, when it comes to the righteousness and wickedness in the Psalms, I think in terms of relative righteousness and absolute righteousness. God considers each type. In the Psalms, many are commended as righteous, including David. The way i understand this is that some people are more righteous than others, so they are called righteous. But before God their status is different, as expressed here. "Enter not into judgment with your servant, for no one living is righteous before you." Psalm 143:2.

[jeffneub]

So if God has to make the first move, what about all those who are isolated from the world and the Word of God? God wrote in their hearts so that they would know He is the Creator. We all have that. So, for those who do not accept Him, does He eventually give up on them? Is there no hope for them? Wouldn't that be blaming God if He didn't try hard enough or long enough?

[donaugustine]

Before I watch this video(and I won’t), just want to say that it is God who reveals Himself.
The question is to who?
The believer or the unbeliever?

[nealwright]

Psalm 14, in context, is a lament to God about those who come against Israel. They're called "fools" and "children of men" early in the psalm. And we know by simply reading that these people do not follow Jehovah, but their own gods. He isn't speaking of Israel. He isn't speaking of all humanity. He is speaking of the enemies of Israel. Context, Context, Context!!

[stove]

This is broken down well. For me when I read this I went back to the OT (where Paul is quoting from) and each of those passages show different categories of folk within them… righteous / just / poor AND wicked / fool / evil.

So now since where these passages are quoted from in full context show not ALL are fools, but all fools perform evils like not seeking after God etc, that is to be noted.

Next, the point is Paulnis convincing Jews they are evil just like the gentiles. It was ALREADY accepted and default that the gentiles were sinful and not seeking after God, so when Paul quote David in the psalms and David is lamenting about how ISRAEL is wicked and even and none are seeking after God, the point back in Romans 3 is to show that Jews are equal to gentiles in righteousness of the flesh.

In context, you cannot make a theology out of Paul making this point that “none seeks after God, none is righteous” because when you read it in the OT where it was quoted from it is already talking about evil people or fools, etc. not ALL people.

[beginningtosee]

The starting place for every child of grace is dead in trespasses and sins- the child of God had no say in their natural birth and likewise they have no say in the New Birth - that is why Jesus used the analogy in John 3-In my view you have the cart before the horse my neighbor- The new birth in scripture is 100 percent Gods prerogative- they are in the family of God and eternally saved- any obedient act of the child or grace may or may not follow this miraculous event.Only born again people have the ability to save themselves from this untoward generation in this present evil world-many of Gods people are destroyed in this time world for lack of knowledge but saved eternally according To Gods great love and rich mercy- peace always from Alabama.