As it is written: There is no one righteous, not even one. There is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away; all alike have become worthless. There is no one who does what is good, not even one. Romans 3:10-12 (CSB)

Skillfully at this juncture in his letter, Paul quotes Psalm 14:1-3 (and other passages beyond these verses) to sum up the depravity of human hearts. Whether in the Gentile realm of conscience or under the Mosaic Law, all are under sin (Rom 3:9).

Thus, humanity is shown to be equally wretched, so that every mouth may be shut and the whole world become subject to God’s judgment (v. 19). Our Creator does not uncover our wickedness to cruelly shame us, but to give us the truth--there is no hope that we can ever redeem ourselves.

No amount of law keeping can save us from the unrighteous state of our hearts. Together we have rebelled and lived sinfully instead of seeking God. Even under the law, no one does what is good. We all are justly condemned.

However, God has given us a way to be made righteous through faith in his son. Jesus Christ is our atoning sacrifice by his shed blood (v. 25). All are in need of salvation and through faith are freely justified through his grace in Christ.