Guilty as Charged—Why We Must See Our Sin to See God’s Grace

If you’ve ever been in a courtroom, you know the weight of a guilty verdict. There’s no escaping it—once the evidence is laid out, the reality is undeniable. In Romans 3:9-20, Paul acts as both prosecutor and judge, delivering a crushing truth: every single one of us stands guilty before God. There are no exceptions.

It’s a hard truth to swallow. Most of us like to think of ourselves as "good people." We compare ourselves to others and feel pretty decent. But Paul dismantles this false sense of security. He pulls from multiple Old Testament scriptures to hammer home his point: "No one is righteous—not even one" (Romans 3:10). The list of sins is exhaustive—our thoughts, motives, words, and actions are all tainted by sin.

But why is this necessary? Why does Paul spend so much time making us feel the weight of our guilt? Because until we understand the depth of our sin, we will never see our need for grace. The law was never meant to save us—it was given to expose our sin and drive us to the only One who can save us: Jesus Christ.

Self-righteousness is a dangerous thing. It blinds us to our need for salvation and makes us trust in ourselves rather than in God. Paul strips away every excuse, every false hope, and leaves us with no defense. And that’s exactly where we need to be.

Because when we recognize our guilt, we are finally ready to receive grace. The good news is coming—we are not left in our sin! But before we get to the solution, we must first acknowledge the problem.

So, what about you? Have you truly faced your own sinfulness? Have you set aside self-righteousness and come to God with empty hands? The gospel begins with bad news before it gets to the good news. But when we finally accept the verdict, we can embrace the mercy that follows.

Let’s not resist the truth. Instead, let’s allow it to humble us and drive us to the Savior who offers us not just a pardon—but a brand-new life.