No One is Just?

(CLV) Ro 3:9
What, then? Are we privileged? Undoubtedly not, for we previously charge both Jews and Greeks to be all under sin,

(CLV) Ro 3:10
according as it is written, that "Not one is just"—not even one.


(CLV) Ro 3:11
Not one is understanding. Not one is seeking out God.

No one is just? No one seeks YHWH?

Where is this written?

I see three references:

(CLV) Ps 14:1
The decadent one says in his heart, There is no Elohim. They have become corrupt and abhorrent in activity; There is no one doing good.

(CLV) Ps 14:2
Yahweh, He gazes down from the heavens on the sons of humanity, To see whether there is anyone acting intelligently, Anyone seeking after Elohim.

(CLV) Ps 14:3
All withdraw aside; Together they are spoiled. There is no one doing good; There is not even one.

David repeats this in Psalm 53.

(CLV) Ps 53:1
The decadent one says in his heart, There is no Elohim. They have become corrupt and abhorrent with iniquity; There is no one doing good.

(CLV) Ps 53:2
Elohim, He gazes down from the heavens on the sons of humanity, To see whether there is anyone acting intelligently, Anyone seeking after Elohim.

(CLV) Ps 53:3
Everyone has turned away; Together they are spoiled. There is no one doing good; There is not even one.

The author of Ecclesiastes makes a similar statement.

(CLV) Ec 7:20
For there is no righteous man in the earth Who does good and never sins.

None righteous? Are we to apply this universally; or were David, and the author of Ecclesiastes, talking about specific groups of people at specific times?

Are we to say that no one has ever sought YHWH?

David himself said that he sought YHWH


(CLV) Ps 34:4
I have sought after Yahweh, and He has answered me, And from all my shrinking fear He has rescued me.

There are numerous other examples throughout scripture. Here is one more, a second witness.

(CLV) 2Ch 26:5
He came to seek after Elohim in the days of Zechariah who gave him understanding in the fear of Elohim; and during the days he sought after Yahweh, the One, Elohim, prospered him.

David goes on to say that none call upon Elohim.

(CLV) Ps 53:4
Have they not knowledge, these contrivers| of lawlessness, Who are devouring My people as they would devour bread? They do not call upon Elohim.

Joel said that all who call on the name of YHWH will be saved. If David is making an absolute statement; can any be saved?

(CLV) Jl 2:32
And it will be that everyone who shall call on the Name of Yahweh shall escape, For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, deliverance shall bcome, Just as Yahweh says, Among the survivors, whom Yahweh is calling.

Lets move on to those who are just or righteous. Not one?

This is one of my favorites. It speaks of Zachariah and Elizebeth, parents of John the Baptist.

(CLV) Lk 1:6
Now they were both just in front of God, going in all the precepts and just statutes of the Lord, blameless.

Blameless! Paul said the same of himself concerning his obedience to the Torah.

(CLV) Php 3:6
in relation to zeal, persecuting the ecclesia, in relation to the righteousness which is in law, becoming blameless.

Blameless!

Strong's G273

ἄμεμπτος ámemptos, am'-emp-tos; from G1 (as a negative particle) and a derivative of G3201; irreproachable:—blameless, faultless, unblamable.

OK, we looked at just. Let's look at righteous.

(CLV) Gn 6:5
Yahweh saw that the evil of humanity was multiplying ion earth, and every form of the devisings of its heart was surely evil all the day.

(CLV) Gn 6:12
Yahweh Elohim saw the earth, and behold, it was ruined, for all flesh had ruined its ways on the earth.

(CLV) Gn 6:13
So Yahweh Elohim said to Noah: The era of the end of all human flesh has come before Me, for the earth is full of violence because of their presence. Now behold, I am about to ruin them with the earth.

We could take these verses out of context, and hold it as an absolute statement; or we could look at all of scripture and apply it all to our understanding.

(CLV) Gn 6:9
These are the genealogical records of Noah. Noah was a righteous man; he became flawless in his generations; with the One, Elohim, Noah walked.

YHWH called people righteous many, many, times throughout scripture.

Definition of righteous

1 : acting in accord with divine or moral law : free from guilt or sin
Definition of RIGHTEOUS

(CLV) 1Jn 3:7
Little children, let no one be deceiving you. He who is doing righteousness is just, according as He is just.

Let's get back to what Paul was saying.

(CLV) Ro 3:12
"All avoid Him: at the same time they were useless. Not one is doing kindness: there is not even one!"

(CLV) Ro 3:13
"A sepulcher opened is their throat. With their tongues they defraud." "The venom of asps is under their lips."

Their throats are an open tomb? Everyone? Everyone is a liar? Is a liar blameless in relation to the righteousness which is in law? Paul said that he was blameless in relation to the righteousness which is in law.

Clearly Paul isn't making an absolute statement. If he was; we couldn't trust his words.

Here is what Yahshua said.

Matthew 5:48
Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

(CLV) Jn 5:14
After these things Jesus is finding him in the sanctuary, and said to him, "Lo! you have become sound. By no means longer be sinning, lest something worse may be coming to you."

Yashshua was not making unreasonable demands.

(CLV) Mt 11:30
for My yoke is kindly and My load is light."

Here is what his father said:
(CLV) Dt 30:10
when you hearken to the voice of Yahweh your Elohim to observe His instructions and His statutes, the ones written in this scroll of the law, once you return to Yahweh your Elohim with all your heart and with all your soul.

(CLV) Dt 30:11
For this instruction that I am enjoining on you today, it is neither too difficult for you, nor is it too far off.

Here is what his disciple said after he had ascended:

(CLV) 1Jn 5:3
For this is the love of God, that we may be keeping His precepts. And His precepts are not heavy,

John said this earlier in his letter:

(CLV) 1Jn 3:9
Everyone who is begotten of God is not doing sin, for His seed is remaining in him, and he can not be sinning, for he is begotten of God.

Is his seed remaining in none of us; or was David speaking of a select group of people?

Old Lady said:

You must be born again.

John 3 ESV
1Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2This man came to Jesusa by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” 3Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born againb he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

1 Corinthians 2 ESV
10these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 11For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. 13And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.
14The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. 15The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. 16“For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

Does this help?

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I believe that we are born again after we seek out Elohim. I don't believe that being born again is a prerequisite to seeking out Elohim.

Minister Monardo said:

Galatians 2:21 I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law,
then Christ died in vain.

Click to expand...

It's also a circular argument.

Again:

Definition of righteous

1 : acting in accord with divine or moral law : free from guilt or sin
Definition of RIGHTEOUS

Noah found חן before Yahshua died.

(CLV) Gn 6:8
Yet Noah, he found grace in the eyes of Yahweh.

The very next verse tells us that Noah was righteous before Yahshua died.

(CLV) Gn 6:9
These are the genealogical records of Noah. Noah was a righteous man; he became flawless in his generations; with the One, Elohim, Noah walked.


YHWH instructed all of his people to be righteous before Yahshua died.:


(CLV) Dt 6:24
Then Yahweh instructed us to do all these statutes, to fear Yahweh our Elohim for our good all the days so as to keep us alive, as it is this day.

(CLV) Dt 6:25
So it shall come to be righteousness for us when we observe to do all this instruction before Yahweh our Elohim, just as He had enjoined on us.


I'm not sure what Paul meant by this; or how it relates to the OP; but I do understand that YHWH, in his חן, calls us to be righteous. Yahshua told us to follow his example of obedience to YHWH's word; and to teach this to all of הגוים.

(CLV) Mt 28:19
Going, then, disciple all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit,

(CLV) Mt 28:20
teaching them to be keeping all, whatever I direct you. And lo! I am with you all the days till the conclusion of the eon! Amen!"

Here are a few verses about those who are righteous. Beginning with Genesis 7:1, if YHWH calls them righteous; they are righteous.


(CLV) Gn 7:1
Then Yahweh Elohim said to Noah: Come, you and all your household, into the ark, for I have seen you righteous before Me in this generation.

(CLV) Ex 23:7
From a false charge you shall keep far; and the innocent and the righteous one you must not kill, for I shall not justify the wicked one.



(CLV) Dt 16:19
You shall not turn aside the judgment; you shall neither be biased nor take a bribe, for the bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and subverts the words of the righteous.

(CLV) Dt 25:1
In case there should come to be a dispute between men, and they come close for judgment, and they judge them, then they will justify the righteous and condemn the wicked.

(CLV) 2Sa 4:11
How much more, then, when wicked men have killed a righteous man on his bed in his own house! Therefore, should I not seek his blood from your hands and wipe you out from the earth!

(CLV) 1Ki 8:32
then may You Yourself hearken from the heavens, and You will act and judge Your servants, so as to condemn the wicked, to bring his way on his own head and to justify the just, to give to him according to his righteousness.

(CLV) 2Ch 6:23
then may You Yourself hearken from the heavens, and You will act and judge Your servants, so as to pay back to the wicked, to bring his way on his own head, and to justify the just, to give to him according to his righteousness.

(CLV) Ps 1:5
Therefore, the wicked shall not rise up in judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

(CLV) Ps 1:6
For Yahweh is knowing the way of the righteous, Yet the way of the wicked, it shall perish.

(CLV) Ps 5:12
For You shall bless the righteous, O Yahweh; Like a large shield, You shall encircle him with benevolence. Permanent, With Accompaniments on the Octave A Davidic Psalm

(CLV) Ps 11:3
When the settled things are being pulled down, The righteous one—what can he effect?

(CLV) Ps 31:18
Let false lips be muted, Those speaking against the righteous with impertinence, In pride and contempt.

(CLV) Ps 32:11
Rejoice in Yahweh, and exult, righteous ones, And be jubilant, all who are upright of heart.

(CLV) Ps 33:1
Be jubilant, righteous ones, in Yahweh; Praise is comely for the upright ones.

(CLV) Ps 34:19
Many are the evils on the righteous one, But Yahweh shall rescue him from them all,

(CLV) Ps 37:16
Better are a few who are for the righteous one Than a throng of many wicked ones.

(CLV) Ps 37:26
The entire day he is generous and obliging, And his seed becomes a blessing.

(CLV) Ps 64:10
The righteous one shall rejoice in Yahweh, And he will take refuge in Him. And all the upright of heart shall praise. Permanent A Davidic Psalm, A Song

(CLV) Ps 75:10
And I shall hew down all the horns of the wicked; The horns of the righteous shall be exalted. Permanent, With Accompaniments An Asaphic Psalm, A Song

(CLV) Ps 118:15
The sound of jubilant song and salvation Comes from the tents of the righteous: Yahweh's right hand is doing valiantly;

(CLV) Ps 125:3
For the scepter of the wicked shall not settle over the lot of the righteous, So that the righteous may not put forth their hands into iniquity.

(CLV) Ps 72:7
Righteousness shall bud in His days, And abundant peace until the moon is no more.

(CLV) Ps 94:21
They slash against the soul of the righteous, And they condemn innocent blood.

(CLV) Ps 97:11
Light is sown for the righteous, And rejoicing for the upright of heart.

(CLV) Jb 12:4
As the sport of his associates am I becoming, Who was calling ›on Eloah, and He answered him, Made sport of, though righteous and flawless.

(CLV) Jb 17:9
But the righteous one holds to his way, And the one of clean hands continues in resoluteness.

(CLV) Jb 22:19
The righteous see it and rejoice, And the innocent one derides them, saying:

(CLV) Jb 27:17
He shall lay it in store, yet the righteous one shall put it on, And the innocent one shall apportion the silver.

(CLV) Pr 3:33
The curse of Yahweh is on the house of the wicked one, Yet the homestead of the righteous He blesses.

(CLV) Pr 4:18
While the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn's brightness, Advancing and becoming resplendent until the day is established,

(CLV) Pr 9:9
Teach a wise man, and he shall be wiser still; Inform a righteous man, and he shall add to his education.

(CLV) Pr 10:3
Yahweh shall not allow the soul of the righteous to hunger, +Yet He shall thrust away the avarice of the wicked.

(CLV) Pr 10:6
Blessings wreathe the head of the righteous one, Yet violence is covering over the mouth of the wicked.

(CLV) Pr 10:7
The memory of the righteous one is › a blessing, Yet the name of the wicked shall rot away.

(CLV) Pr 10:11
A fountain of life is the mouth of the righteous one, Yet violence covers the mouth of the wicked.

(CLV) Pr 10:16
The wage of the righteous one leads to life; The income of the wicked one leads to sin.

(CLV) Pr 10:30
By no means shall the righteous one slip for the eon, Yet the wicked shall not tabernacle in the land.

(CLV) Pr 12:21
Any sorrow shall not be the fate ›of the righteous one, Yet the wicked, they are filled with evils.

(CLV) Pr 12:26
The righteous man explores more than his associate, Yet the way of the wicked shall lead them astray.

(CLV) Pr 13:5
The righteous man hates a false word, Yet the wicked one, he brings bad odor and abashment.

(CLV) Pr 13:25
The righteous one is eating to his soul's satisfaction, Yet the belly of the wicked shall have lack.

(CLV) Pr 15:28
The heart of the righteous man cogitates on its answers, Yet the mouth of the wicked utters evil things.

(CLV) Pr 17:15
He who justifies the wicked person and he who condemns the righteous man, Even both of them are an abhorrence to Yahweh.

(CLV) Pr 29:2
When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, Yet when the wicked man rules-, the people sigh.

(CLV) Isa 3:10
Say to the righteous one that he shall have good, For the fruit of their actions shall they eat.

(CLV) Isa 5:23
Who are justifying the wicked one in consequence of a bribe, Yet the righteousness of the righteous one they are taking away from him.

(CLV) Isa 26:2
Open the gates, and a righteous nation shall enter, One that is keeping truths.

(CLV) Isa 26:7
The path for the righteous is straight; O Straight One, You shall balance the route of the righteous.

(CLV) Isa 29:21
Those who make a person a sinner with a word, And for the arbitrator in the gateway they lay a trap And are turning aside the righteous into a chaos.

(CLV) Isa 57:1
The righteous one, he perishes, And there is no man laying it on his heart; And men of benignity are being swept up, iWhile there is no considering That because of the evil the righteous one is swept up.

(CLV) Isa 60:21
And your people, all of them, shall be righteous; For the eon they shall tenant the land, The scion of Yahweh's planting, The work of His hands to show His beauty-.

(CLV) Jer 20:12
O Yahweh of hosts, Tester of the righteous, Examiner of the innermost being and heart, Let me see Your vengeance on them, For to You have I confided my cause.

(CLV) Lam 4:13
Because of the sins of her prophets, the depravities of her priests, Who were pouring out within her the blood of the righteous,

(CLV) Ezk 3:20
Again, when a righteous one turns back- from his righteousness and does iniquity when I put a stumbling block before him, he shall die. If you do not warn him, he shall die in his sin, and his righteous acts which he had done shall not be remembered, but his blood I shall seek to exact from your hand.

(CLV) Ezk 3:21
Yet you, if you do warn him, this righteous one, by no means to sin, and he, the righteous one, does not sin, he shall live, yea live for taking warning, and you will have rescued your soul.

(CLV) Ezk 23:45
Yet righteous men, they shall judge them with the judgment for adulteresses, and the judgment for those who shed blood, for they are adulteresses, and blood is on their hands.

(CLV) Am 2:6
Thus says Yahweh: Due to three transgressions of Israel, And due to four, I shall not turn it back, Because they sold the righteous for silver, And the needy for the sake of a pair of sandals;

(CLV) Am 5:12
For I know that your transgressions are many And your sins are plentiful; You are distressers of the righteous one, Takers of a sheltering bribe, Who turn aside the needy in the gateway.

(CLV) Ho 14:9
Who is wise shall also understand these things. These being understood, he shall also acknowledge them. For upright are the ways of Yahweh, And the righteous, they shall walk in them. Yet the transgressors|, they shall be stumbled in them.

(CLV) Hab 1:4
Therefore the law is torpid, And right judgment is not going forth permanently, For the wicked one is compassing about the righteous one; Therefore tortuous| judgment is going forth.

(CLV) Mal 3:18
And you will return and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between a servant of Elohim and him who does not serve Him.



(CLV) Mt 1:19
Now Joseph, her husband, being just and not willing to hold her up to infamy, intended covertly to dismiss her.

(CLV) Mt 5:45
so that you may become sons of your Father Who is in the heavens, for He causes His sun to rise on the wicked and the good, and makes it rain on the just and the unjust.

(CLV) Mt 9:13
Now go, learn what this is: Mercy am I wanting, and not sacrifice. For I did not come to call the just but sinners."

(CLV) Mt 10:41
He who is receiving a prophet in the name of a prophet shall be obtaining a prophet's wages. And he who is receiving a just man in the name of a just man shall be obtaining a just man's wages.

(CLV) Mt 13:17
For verily I am saying to you that many prophets and just men yearn to perceive what you are observing, and perceive not, and to hear what you are hearing, and hear not.

(CLV) Mt 23:29
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you are building the sepulchers of the prophets and adorning the tombs of the just,

(CLV) Mt 23:35
so that on you should be coming all the just blood shed on the earth, from the blood of just Abel until the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murder between the temple and the altar.

(CLV) Mt 25:37
"Then the just will be answering Him, saying, `Lord, when did we perceive Thee hungering and nourish Thee, or thirsting and we give Thee drink?

(CLV) Mt 25:46
And these shall be coming away into chastening eonian, yet the just into life eonian."

(CLV) Mk 6:20
for Herod feared John, being aware that he is a just and holy man, and he preserved him. And hearing him, he was much perplexed, and heard him with relish.

(CLV) Lk 1:6
Now they were both just in front of God, going in all the precepts and just statutes of the Lord, blameless.

(CLV) Lk 1:17
And he shall be coming before in His sight in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn back the hearts of the fathers onto the children, and the stubborn to the prudence of the just, to make ready a people formed for the Lord."

(CLV) Lk 2:25
And lo! there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name is Simeon. And this man is just and pious, anticipating the consolation of Israel, and holy spirit was on him.

(CLV) Ja 5:16
Then confess sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The operative petition of the just is availing much.

(CLV) 1Pt 3:12
For the eyes of the Lord are on the just And His ears are for their petition, Yet the face of the Lord is on evil doers.


(CLV) 1Pt 4:18
And, "If the just one is hardly being saved, where will the irreverent and the sinner appear?"

(CLV) 1Jn 3:7
Little children, let no one be deceiving you. He who is doing righteousness is just, according as He is just.

(CLV) Re 19:8
And to her it was granted that she may be clothed in clean, resplendent cambric, for the cambric is the just awards of the saints.

(CLV) Ro 3:10
according as it is written, that "Not one is just"—not even one.