M-G: 7.28.20 // Being a Good Human, Romans 3:12

THEY HAVE ALL TURNED ASIDE; THEY HAVE TOGETHER BECOME UNPROFITABLE; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, NO, NOT ONE.

As Beverly and I were sitting in an airport waiting on our flight at the gate in Fort Lauderdale in the summer of 2019, there was this woman who sat down two rows across from us. She was wearing a t-shirt that said on the front side of it, “Raise good humans.” I was unaware of a movement that began in 2016 where parents were committed to raising their children to the best of their abilities. In a world fill with hatred and unkindness, this is sorely needed, yes?

At first, I thought this woman, who was traveling alone, was promoting humanism; otherwise, in my thinking, why did her shirt not simply say, “Raise good children?” Then I thought about that word “good,” and a verse came to mind out of Romans where Paul was showing why we are all under sin (Rom 3:9) in Rom 3:10-18 by alluding to some OT passages to make his case. In Rom 3:10-12 he referred to David by citing from Psa 14:1-3; 53:1-3.

I want to take a look at v12 with this t-shirt in mind, Paul writes, …there is none who does good, no, not one (Rom 3:12). I wanted to ask this woman how she was defining “good humans,” but I chose not to disturb her to avoid any possible misunderstanding on what motivated me to ask her that question.

Let me ask you. Are you a good human? This is an odd way of saying it, yes? We normally say, “Are you a good person?” And we always answer that question with “Yes,” or “I like to think that I am.” In the spirit of that woman wearing that t-shirt, let’s look at Paul’s indictment in this way, “There is no human who does good, no, not one human.” Now, that verse would make us all out to be liars! So, let us drag the rest of v12 into this discussion,

“Humans have all turned aside; humans have together become unprofitable; there is no human who does good, no, not one human.”

That includes Beverly and me! That includes you, my dear reader! That includes everyone, all of man-kind, humans, sons and daughters of Adam. It reveals the universality of human sin and rebellion that we are all under sin. Paul here in v12, through inspiration, declared that we have all deserted God (turned aside) to pursue our own way. We have become useless or worthless (unprofitable).

There is none who does good (Gk., chrestoteta) in Rom 3:12 means “kindness” or “benevolence in action.” Another way of saying this is, “There is none who does kindness.” Paul is saying there is no human who does good or kindness (as God views good or kindness)! What does he mean? Is the quality of good we see not the same kind of good Paul or David is talking about? Paul is referring to all who do not have the Holy Spirit living within the heart.

Follow me closely here, but keep in mind that everything pertaining to humanity has been contaminated by sin. What humans determine as good is not “good enough” in the eyes of the Lord. We will always fall short of God’s standard of righteousness because we are all under sin (Rom 3:9, 23) in need of redemption.  

Kindness is listed among the fruit of the Holy Spirit (2 Cor 6:6; Gal 5:22-23). The natural (Gk, psuchikos, 1 Cor 2:14) or sensual (Gk., psuchikos, Jude 1:19) man are one and the same; he or she does not have the Holy Spirit according to Jude, the half-brother of Jesus, not having the Spirit. Paul indicated in Rom 8:9b, Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His or he does not belong to Him (NASB). We receive the Holy Spirit at spiritual regeneration; there is no other way. This is so important that I want to offer a list of verses to reinforce this wonderful truth: Jn 14:17; Rom 5:5; 8:9, 11; 1 Cor 3:16; 6:19; Eph 2:22; 2 Tim 1:14; 1 Jn 3:24.

We know that the psuchikos man does possess the inner spiritual capacity (the Holy Spirit) to understand the things of God and are incapable of exercising the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, longsuffering (patience), kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Gal 5:22-23).

So, according to Paul in 1Cor 2:14, NASB, the natural or sensual man (the man without the Spirit or an unregenerate person, one who has not been born again) will not and cannot accept or understand the things of the Spirit of God. He rejects what he does not understand nor desires it (cf. Jn 3:19). “Like a deaf critic of Bach or a blind critic of Raphael is the unregenerate critic of God’s Word” (BKC). Any person without the Holy Spirit is absolutely incapable of exhibiting the fruit of the Spirit of God.

Paul ends v12 with, No, not one, human! Well, we know of one exception here, Jesus Christ, the God-Man. So, you can see why my theological brain was spinning on that summer at the Fort Lauderdale airport concerning that “Raise Good Humans” t-shirt; Paul was emphatic, No, not one! This was God’s indictment of lost humanity.

How important is the Holy Spirit in our lives as believers? Since I mentioned the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23), let me limit it to that because that is an open the floodgate kind of question.

Apart from the Holy Spirit, our love is not pleasing to God.

Apart from the Holy Spirit, our joy is not pleasing to God.

Apart from the Holy Spirit, our peace is not pleasing to God.

Apart from the Holy Spirit, our longsuffering is not pleasing to God.

Apart from the Holy Spirit, our kindness is not pleasing to God.

Apart from the Holy Spirit, our goodness is not pleasing to God.

Apart from the Holy Spirit, our faithfulness is not pleasing to God.

Apart from the Holy Spirit, our gentleness is not pleasing to God.

Apart from the Holy Spirit, our self-control is not pleasing to God.

Apart from the Holy Spirit, our flesh will naturally reemerge to define this fruit of the Spirit in the way the world looks at it. If this sounds bizarre, consider the spread of one of the carnal doctrines drifting into the thinking of believers today by mistaking human love for God’s love (agape). This is the result of apart from the Holy Spirit-thinking. The Holy Spirit will never contradict the Scriptures, never ever!

Do not underestimate how vital it is to walk in the Spirit as a believer (Gal 5:16)! It is quintessential to be enabled by the Holy Spirit 24/7/365! Jesus told His disciples of the importance of abiding in Him and He in them,

For without Me you can do nothing (John 15:5).

Like the natural or sensual man who does not have the Holy Spirit, going solo as a believer apart from the Holy Spirit is a fruitless or useless endeavor. The first mistake was trying to think, say, or do something apart from the Holy Spirit; such a culture produces even more spiritual error than you can shake a stick at.

Since the natural or sensual man does not have the Holy Spirit, his or her definition of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control will not align with Scripture and will most certainly be rejected by God as flesh inspired and not Spirit-inspired. The lost man understands his definitions but rejects God’s.

Getting back to the airport, how do we “raise good humans” anyway? For starters, raise our kids (humans) in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Eph 6:4, KJV), yes?

What kind of example do we provide for others (saved and lost)? Gal 5:16, Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh (cf. Gal 5:19, 20, 21). If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit (Gal 5:25), for that, my friends, is the only way of being a “good human” for the glory of God, Christlike to the hilt! <><