Man's Utter Ruin

 •  6 min. read  •  grade level: 8
THERE never was a time when it was more important than now that souls should clearly apprehend and simply believe the plain fundamental truths of the gospel. Everyone will sooner or later have to face the solemn question of his ability to meet a holy God, for God and man must meet either in the day of grace or in the day of judgment.
Many there are who, while they admit the fact that there is a day of judgment to come, seem to completely ignore their true condition before God. Hence the importance of learning from Scripture how we stand, for God has there most clearly revealed the true state of matters.
In the first three chapters of Romans we are shown man’s utter ruin through sin. The whole human family is involved in the disastrous consequences of Adam’s fall:
“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Rom. 5:1212Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: (Romans 5:12)).
It is not that Adam’s race will be judged at the day of judgment for Adam’s sin. Each one will then be judged for his own sin, and twice over in the Epistle to the Romans, the great gospel epistle, it is clearly stated that “all have sinned” (Rom. 3:2323For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23), vs. 12).
Man has inherited a sinful nature through Adam’s fall, but when arraigned before God’s judgment bar each one will have to give an account of himself to God, “who will render to every man according to his deeds” (Rom. 2:66Who will render to every man according to his deeds: (Romans 2:6)).
The solemn fact, then, is that
“all have sinned.”
First of all, the state of the heathen is gone into, and it is proved that they are without excuse (Rom. 1:2020For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: (Romans 1:20)). Sunk as they are in the most awful corruption and degradation, they were not always so. There was a time when they knew God (vs. 21). Their present condition of revolting idolatry is ignorance of God, but at one time they had a knowledge of God handed down by tradition. The heathen races of the earth are not steps forward in the development and evolution of mankind, but a fall backward into degradation through idolatry.
They had a knowledge of God, but gave it up and “changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man.” Hence in God’s governmental dealings they in turn have been given up by God. Three times over in this chapter are we told that God gave them up (vers. 24, 26, 28)
But, further, they have the ever-present testimony of creation before their eyes. On every blade of grass, on every leaf of the tree, in every grain of sand, in every star of the heavens are indelibly impressed the evidence of God’s eternal power and Godhead. No idol made with hands, that can neither see nor hear, could have called these things into existence.
And, besides this, ever since the Garden of Eden every man possesses a conscience which ever bears its witness, and “their thoughts the meanwhile accusing or else excusing one another” (Rom. 2:1515Which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;) (Romans 2:15)).
But is the case of the Jews any better? Advantages certainly they have that the heathen do not possess (Rom. 3:11What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? (Romans 3:1)), the chief of these being that to them were committed the oracles of God. They had the Scriptures — of course, the Old Testament — but what did these Scriptures declare? The law spoke directly to those who were under the law, and what did it say? Listen—
“There is none righteous, no, not one. There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one” (Rom. 3:10-1210As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 11There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. (Romans 3:10‑12)).
The whole case is thus summed up “that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.”
Yes, all are guilty, for all have sinned. There is no difference, the whole world, Jew and Gentile, is brought in guilty before God. On what ground? This, that “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” It matters not what the particular sins may be, the solemn fact is stated and clearly proved that all, without one single exception, are sinners; that all are unfit to stand before the glory of God.
But it is just here that God in His grace delights to meet us. The gospel contains the magnificent revelation of God’s plan of salvation. Man’s utter ruin is proved by God Himself; but then follows the glorious remedy which God Himself has devised to meet us just where we are, and just as we are.
There is Paul, that honored servant of Jesus Christ, an apostle called by a glorified Christ, and separated unto the gospel of God (Rom. 1:11Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, (Romans 1:1)). A blasphemer and a persecutor he had been, but now a captive in the Saviour’s bonds of love, he lived for nothing else than to preach the gospel — he was separated unto it. Separated to what? The gospel of God. Ah, here we learn a wonderful secret. The good news has its source in the heart of God. God devised the matchless plan, and not man.
Reader, is it not wonderful? Is it not worthy of God? Look at those four words — “the gospel of God.” Guilty, wretched, degraded, ruined man may be the object of God’s saving grace, but the source, the spring, the motives, all were in the heart of God — “God so loved the world,” &c. (John 3:1616For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)).
Is there anything to be ashamed of in such a gospel? “No,” says Paul, “I am not ashamed of the gospel; for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”
Man is guilty, and has no righteousness for God, but God has a righteousness for man. This He reveals in the gospel. No righteousness can man produce for God by deeds of law; but now, yes NOW, since Christ has died and risen again; now, since that precious blood has been shed that not only cleanses from all sin, but which has fully satisfied every claim of God’s majesty, justice, and glory; yes, “now the righteousness of God without the law (i.e., apart from the law) is manifested... even the righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe” (Rom. 1:16, 3:20-22).
So that whilst it is solemnly true that through sin all are lost, and all are guilty, yet through the gospel all may be saved, and all may be justified. The gospel is the power of God that stoops down into man’s ruin, lifts him out of it, saves him, justifies him, and presently will glorify him with Christ on the simple ground of faith.
A. H.B.