{"id":1307,"date":"2010-11-07T01:41:39","date_gmt":"2010-11-07T01:41:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/2010\/11\/no-one-does-good-really.html"},"modified":"2010-11-07T01:41:39","modified_gmt":"2010-11-07T01:41:39","slug":"no-one-does-good-really","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2010\/11\/no-one-does-good-really.html","title":{"rendered":"No One Does Good? Really?"},"content":{"rendered":"
Psalm 14:1-7<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\nBut no, all have turned away;
\n     all have become corrupt.
\nNo one does good,
\n     not a single one!<\/p>\n

\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n<\/div>\n

Psalm 14:3<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n

\nI remember when I first resolved to read through the whole Bible. I was
\nin high school, and it seemed like the godly thing to do. But as I
\nbegan making my way through Scripture, I kept stumbling upon verses that
\nwere unsettling to me. Sometimes what a verse described seemed
\nabhorrent to me. Other verses just seemed wrong. Now I believed that the
\nBible was God’s Word and was always true. But what was I to do with
\nverses that seemed to be, well, false?<\/p>\n

\tPsalm 14:3 was such a verse. I encountered this verse as it was
\nquoted in Romans 3:12, where it says, “All have turned away; all have
\nbecome useless. No one does good, not a single one.” As I read this, I
\nthought to myself: “Wait! How is this possible? Somebody does good. I
\nhave seen people be generous to the poor. I have watched people love
\ndifficult people. And I have even done some good things in my life. So
\nhow can the Bible say that no one does good, not a single one?”<\/p>\n

\tSome people, when they come to verses like Psalm 14:3, quickly
\nconclude that the Bible gets it wrong. But, whether they believe in
\nbiblical authority or not, they are not reading Scripture with the kind
\nof attentiveness that literature deserves. All responsible reading pays
\nattention to the genre of the material and its context. So, when we
\napproach the Psalms, we must remember that they are poetry. Psalm 14:3
\nisn’t a piece of prosaic legal material. Rather, it is a poetic, indeed,
\nhyperbolic expression of the pervasive sinfulness of humanity. Poetry
\nsays, “No one does good, not a single one.” Philosophical discourse
\nmight say, “All people do wrong, but some people do what’s right some of
\nthe time.”<\/p>\n

\tPsalm 14:3 appears in a poem that laments the sinfulness of all
\nhuman beings. In the end, the good that we do cannot erase our sinful
\nbehavior. Thus, Psalm 14 ends by asking a paramount question: “Who will
\ncome from Mount Zion to rescue us?” (14:7). Who is able to save us? Only
\nthe Lord (14:7). He alone is able to restore his people, and ultimately
\nthe whole world.<\/p>\n

\tIn Romans 3, Paul quotes Psalm 14:3 in order to set up the need for a
\nsavior. Yes, no one does good. Both Jews and Gentiles fall short of
\nGod’s righteousness: “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of
\nGod’s glorious standard” (Rom. 3:23). This is the bad news that prepares
\nthe way for the good news: “Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares
\nthat we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed
\nus from the penalty for our sins” (Rom. 3:24). Truly, everyone does what
\nis wrong. No one does good and good alone . . . except for Jesus
\nChrist, our Savior, through whose goodness we are righteous in God’s
\nsight.<\/p>\n

\tQUESTIONS FOR FURTHER REFLECTION:<\/strong> When you read a
\nverse like Psalm 14:3, a verse that somehow seems wrong to you, what do
\nyou do? Do you ever believe that you can be good enough to earn God’s
\nfavor? How does the reality of your sinfulness impact your relationship
\nwith God?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n

\nPRAYER:<\/strong> O Lord, as you know, there are many passages
\nof Scripture that are disconcerting to us, things we don’t understand,
\nor things we understand but don’t like. At times your Word is crystal
\nclear and compelling. But then there are other times . . .<\/p>\n

\tHelp us, Lord, to understand your Word correctly. By your Spirit,
\nmay we pay close attention to the text and its context. Help us to be
\naccurate readers.<\/p>\n

\tAnd when we come upon things that we don’t like, help us not to
\nreject your Word as something less than true. Rather, teach us to dig
\ndeeply, to think, to pray, to converse with others, to wrestle with
\nScripture so that we might be changed by it.<\/p>\n

\tFinally, gracious God, thank you for your salvation, for reaching
\nout to us even when we were sinners. Thank you for your grace poured out
\nthrough Jesus Christ. Amen<\/em>.<\/p>\n

_________________________________________________<\/p>\n

<\/a>Would you like to receive a Daily Reflection like this one in your email inbox each morning?  <\/p>\n

Here’s how . . . .<\/em><\/strong>
\nThis devotional comes from The High Calling: Everyday Conversations about Work, Life, and God <\/em>(www.thehighcalling.org<\/a>). You can read my Daily Reflections there, or sign up to have them sent to your email inbox each day. This website contains lots of encouragement for people who are trying to live out their faith in the workplace. The High Calling<\/i> is associated with Laity Lodge, where I work.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Psalm 14:1-7 But no, all have turned away;      all have become corrupt. No one does good,      not a single one! Psalm 14:3 I remember when I first resolved to read through the whole Bible. I was in high school, and it seemed like the godly thing to do. But as I began making…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1307","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sunday-inspiration"],"yoast_head":"\nNo One Does Good? Really? - Mark D. 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Roberts","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","caption":"Mark D. Roberts"},"description":"The Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a pastor, author, retreat leader, speaker, and blogger. Since October 2007 he has been the Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, a multifaceted ministry in the Hill Country of Texas. Before coming to Laity Lodge, he was for sixteen years the Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Irvine, California (a city in Orange County about forty miles south of Los Angeles). Before his time at Irvine Pres, Mark served on the staff of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood as Associate Pastor of Education. (Thanks to Janel Pahl for taking the photo to the right.) Mark studied at Harvard University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in the Study of Religion, and a Ph.D. in New Testament and Christian Origins. He has taught classes in New Testament for Fuller Theological Seminary and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Mark has written several books, including No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer (WaterBrook, 2005), Dare to Be True (WaterBrook, 2003), Jesus Revealed (WaterBrook, 2002), After \"I Believe\" (Baker, 2002), and Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Word, 1993). His most recent book is Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Crossway, 2007). He is currently working on a commentary on Ephesians that will be published by Zondervan in 2014. Mark writes a devotional for The High Calling of Our Daily Work, a website associated with Laity Lodge. His \"Daily Reflections\" can be viewed online or sent as a daily email. If you wish to receive this email, just visit TheHighCalling.org and sign up. Mark serves on the editorial board of Worship Leader magazine, where he publishes articles and reviews, including his regular column \"Lyrical Poetry.\" Additionally, he has published dozens of articles in leading magazines and journals. He often speaks for churches and other Christian groups, and has been interviewed on over seventy-five radio programs nationwide. Mark is married to Linda, who is a Marriage and Family Therapist, a Spiritual Director, and a retreat speaker. They have two children, Nathan and Kara.For Publicity Photos and Bio Statements for Mark, please check here. Mark's Dossier Professional History: Senior Director and Scholar-in Residence, Laity Lodge, October 2007 to present. Senior Pastor Irvine Presbyterian Church, June 1991 to September 2007 Adjunct Assistant Professor Fuller Theological Seminary, 1994 to 2007. Courses: New Testament Theology and Exegesis. Adjunct Instructor San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1995 to 2001. Courses: New Testament Greek and Exegesis Associate Pastor of Education First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, 1987-1991 Teaching Fellow Harvard University, 1980-1983 Education: Ph.D. in the Study of Religion. Harvard University, 1992. Area: New Testament and Christian Origins M.A. in the Study of Religion Harvard University, 1984. A.B. magna cum laude in Philosophy Harvard University, 1979. Phi Beta Kappa; Danforth Fellowship Books: Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Crossway, 2007 No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer. WaterBrook, 2005 Dare to Be True: Living in the Freedom of Complete Honesty. WaterBrook, 2003. Jesus Revealed: Know Him Better to Love Him Better. WaterBrook, 2002. After \"I Believe\": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living. Baker, 2002. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther in the Communicator's Commentary Series. Word, 1993. Contacting Mark: You can reach Mark at: E-mail: mark@markdroberts.com mroberts@laitylodge.org Phone: Laity Lodge: (830) 792-1216 Address: Laity Lodge 719 Earl Garrett Kerrville, TX 78028","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/author\/mroberts"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1307","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/214"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1307"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1307\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1307"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1307"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1307"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}