10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. 13 Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: 14 Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: 15 Their feet are swift to shed blood: 16 Destruction and misery are in their ways: 17 And the way of peace have they not known: 18 There is no fear of God before their eyes. (Romans 3:10-18 KJV)
William Burkitt’s Commentary
Observe here, How Apostle Paul proves his assertion; namely, That both Jew and Gentile were under the guilt both of original and actual transgression, from the testimony of David, Psalm 14 where the state of corrupt nature is described, and the natural condition of all men declared, till they are either restrained or renewed by the grace of God: There is none righteous, no not one. Which words are true in several respects:
1. There is none originally righteous, no not one; none righteous in their first plantation in the world until they are transplanted into the body of Christ, moulded and fashioned by his Holy Spirit.
2. There is none efficiently righteous, no not one: None have a righteousness of their own making but of God’s. The righteousness of justification and sanctification both are from Christ, not from ourselves; we are his workmanship, not our own.
3. There is none meritoriously righteous, no not one; none that can deserve or demand anything as a due debt at God’s hand; but the most rigorous and holy saints are but unprofitable servants.
4. There is none perfectly and completely righteous, no not one; but inchoatively only: None righteous in a strict and legal sense, but in the gospel and qualified sense only: He that doeth righteousness is righteous, in the account of God; and, as such, shall be accepted and rewarded by him.
Observe, 2. How Apostle Paul proves the corruption of mankind in general by an induction of particulars. He surveys him in all the principal faculties of his soul and members of his body; his understanding, will and affections; his eye, hand, tongue, and feet all corrupted and depraved: Their mouth is full or cursing, and bitter speeches: Their heart an open sepulchre, gaping after, and devouring the good name of their neighbours, and belching out filthy, ill scented, and unsavoury words against them. They seek not God in anything they do, and there is no fear of God, no respect of God before their eyes.
The apostle sets up all with this, because want of the fear of God before our eyes, is the fountain from which all other evils do proceed and flow. The fear of God is the bridle and curb which restrains from sin; where that is wanting, all iniquity abounds; where that is present and prevalent, it keeps the soul close to God, I will put my fear in their hearts, and they shall not depart from me. Jer 32:32
We usually depart far, yea, run fast from those we fear; but the true fear of God will make us cleave close to him, because love is intermixed with it, and renders it a delightful fear.