What does "no one seeks God" reveal about human nature in Romans 3:11? The Text in Focus “THERE IS NO ONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, NO ONE WHO SEEKS GOD.” (Romans 3:11) Key Observation: Universality of the Problem • “No one” leaves no exceptions—Jew or Gentile, religious or irreligious • Paul quotes Psalm 14:2–3 to show this has always been God’s verdict on humanity • The absence of seekers is total, not partial; it describes our natural state before grace intervenes Human Nature Exposed • Spiritual deadness – Ephesians 2:1: “You were dead in your trespasses and sins” • Moral inability – John 6:44: “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him” • Darkened understanding – Ephesians 4:18: minds darkened, hearts hardened • Active rebellion – Romans 1:21: although we know God exists, we suppress the truth • Self-centered desires – 2 Timothy 3:2–4: “lovers of self…rather than lovers of God” How Did We Get Here? The Story From Genesis Onward • Genesis 3: Sin’s entrance turned our gaze inward and away from God • Genesis 6:5: “every inclination of the thoughts of their hearts was altogether evil all the time” • Jeremiah 17:9: “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure” Confirmation Across the Scriptures • Psalm 53:2–3 mirrors Psalm 14 and Romans 3 • Isaiah 53:6: “We all like sheep have gone astray” • Proverbs 14:12: self-directed paths end in death Divine Initiative: God Seeks Us First • Luke 19:10: “The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” • John 4:23: the Father seeks worshipers • 1 John 4:19: “We love because He first loved us” God’s pursuit is the only remedy for hearts that will not pursue Him. Implications for Believers Today • Humility – salvation is sheer grace, not human achievement • Gratitude – worship flows from knowing He found us when we were not looking for Him • Urgency in evangelism – people will not drift to God on their own; we proclaim Christ and pray for God’s drawing power • Dependence on the Spirit – only He can open blind eyes (2 Corinthians 4:4–6) Good News in Christ • Romans 3:21–24: righteousness apart from the law is revealed in Jesus • Titus 3:5: “He saved us…by the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit” • Ephesians 2:4–5: “But God…made us alive with Christ even when we were dead” Summary Truths • By nature, humans neither understand nor seek God • Our inability is moral and spiritual, not merely intellectual • Scripture consistently affirms this diagnosis from Genesis to Revelation • God must—and does—make the first move in salvation • The gospel announces that the God we would not seek has lovingly sought and rescued us in Christ |
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