The phrase “all have sinned” comes from Romans 3:23 which states, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” This verse teaches a key biblical truth that all human beings are sinners and fall short of God’s perfect standard of righteousness. But what exactly does it mean that “all have sinned”? Let’s take a closer look at this important doctrine.
The Universality of Sin
When Romans 3:23 states that “all have sinned”, it is making a universal statement about the entire human race. Every single person who has ever lived, except Jesus Christ, has sinned against God. There are no exceptions. Romans 3:10-18 quotes several Old Testament passages to emphasize this point: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”
The testimony of Scripture is clear – sin is a universal human problem. From the fall of Adam and Eve in Genesis 3, every descendant of Adam is born with a sinful nature. We regularly break God’s law in thought, word, and deed. Even if we compare ourselves to other people, we have still fallen short of God’s perfect standard. Sin is pervasive in every human heart and permeates every aspect of society.
Sin Corrupts Every Part of Human Nature
What exactly is sin? At its most basic level, sin is failing to do what God commands or doing what God forbids. But sin goes much deeper than simply disobeying a divine rulebook. It corrupts every part of our human nature.
Our minds are affected. Romans 1:21 says unbelievers become “futile in their thinking” and Ephesians 4:18 warns that they are “darkened in their understanding”. Our wills are affected. Fallen man does not and cannot seek God on his own (Romans 3:11). Our desires and passions are affected. Sin twists natural desires into lusts for sinful things (1 John 2:16). Even our bodies are affected, subject to disease, pain, and ultimately death.
In short, sin leaves no part of our humanity untouched. It drags us down like a heavy weight. That is why we are utterly unable to lift ourselves up by our own power and save ourselves. We are dead in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1).
Sin Manifests Itself in Attitudes and Actions
How does this sinful nature show itself in our lives? Sin is often divided into sins of commission – when we commit an overtly sinful act – and sins of omission – when we fail to do what is good and right. Scripture describes many sinful attitudes and actions:
- Pride, arrogance, and boasting (Luke 18:9-14)
- Unbelief, doubt, and rejection of God (John 3:18)
- Anger, hatred, and murder (1 John 3:15)
- Lust, sexual immorality, and adultery (Matthew 5:27-28)
- Greed, envy, jealousy, and stealing (Luke 12:13-21)
- Laziness, wasting time, and failing to work (Proverbs 10:4-5)
- Hypocrisy and outward religiosity (Matthew 23:25-28)
- Lying, deceit, gossip and slander (Proverbs 6:16-19)
This list is by no means exhaustive. At the heart level, all human beings sin by rejecting God and living for themselves rather than submitting to Christ’s lordship. Sin manifests itself in thoughts, attitudes, and actions that fail to please and honor God.
Even “Good” Deeds Are Tainted by Sin
It is important to note that even deeds in themselves that appear good and positive are still tainted by sin. For example, an unbeliever can do charitable deeds, but if they are not done out of love for God and desire for His glory, even those deeds fall short. Jesus said our outwardly righteous works can still be done for the wrong motives – to gain man’s approval rather than God’s (Matthew 6:1-4).
A helpful illustration is to envision a “good” cup with a drop of poison in it. Just a small amount of poison ruins the whole drink. In the same way, even our righteous acts are ruined by the poison of sinful motives. Only through Christ can we do truly good works that please God.
We Are Enslaved to Sin Without Christ
Due to the far-reaching corruption of sin, the Bible describes unbelievers as enslaved to sin. We naturally love spiritual darkness rather than light (John 3:19). Sin chains us with bonds we cannot break ourselves. Titus 3:3 says, “For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.”
As sinners, we foolishly think we are free. But sin is a cruel master. Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin” (John 8:34). Unbelievers do the will and bidding of their sinful nature. They cannot break free from the chains of sin and practice true righteousness apart from Christ.
The Seriousness and Consequences of Sin
Why does it matter that all people have sinned? First, we must recognize the seriousness of sin in God’s eyes. He does not brush it off as no big deal or pretend it does not exist. Sin is cosmic treason against the Creator of the universe. It deserves His holy wrath and judgment. After the Fall, God cast Adam and Eve out of Eden and subjected the whole creation to futility (Genesis 3:23-24; Romans 8:20). Every sin, even those we deem “small”, deserve eternal death (Romans 6:23a). God cannot overlook justice.
Secondly, understanding the dark reality of sin helps us grasp our desperate need for a Savior. Sin does not just separate us from God – it spiritually kills us. If we try to justify or downplay our sin, we will never look to Christ in faith. A proper view of sin leads us to repentance and motivates us to preach the gospel to unbelievers.
Common Grace Restrains Sin’s Full Effects
If sin is so bad, why doesn’t the world seem as wicked as possible? The doctrine of common grace explains why. God graciously restrains sin’s full effects in society. For example, Genesis 6:5 says the pre-Flood world was filled with violence and corruption. Common grace keeps society from being equally bad today. As 2 Thessalonians 2:6-7 explains, a “restrainer” holds back the “lawless one” from being fully revealed during this age.
So while total depravity is truly bad, common grace keeps us from being as evil as we could be. But this restraining grace should not make us think sin is “not that bad.” We are still dead in sin and justly condemned apart from Christ.
How Can We Be Declared Righteous If All Are Sinners?
If the testimony of Scripture is clear that all people are sinners, then how can anyone be justified and declared righteous before God? Does not Romans 3:10 say, “None is righteous, no, not one”? That verse is true in and of itself – no one meets God’s perfect standard of righteousness.
This is where the good news of the gospel comes in. Sinners are justified and declared righteous before God on the basis of Christ’s righteousness alone, received by faith alone. When a person repents and believes in Christ, their sins are imputed to Christ on the cross while His perfect righteousness is imputed to their account.
2 Corinthians 5:21 explains this divinely gracious transaction: “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” Though we have all sinned and fall short, through faith in Christ believers are clothed in His righteousness.
Christ’s Obedience Undoes Adam’s Disobedience
The Bible presents Adam as the representative head of the human race who brought sin and condemnation to all his descendants. Conversely, Jesus Christ is portrayed as the “second Adam” and the head of a new redeemed humanity. Romans 5:12-21 contrasts these two covenant heads.
Adam’s one act of disobedience brought death and sin to all under him. But Christ’s one act of obedience – His sinless life and death on the cross – brings justification and life to all those belong to Him by faith (Romans 5:18-19). The same all who were condemned through Adam’s sin are made righteous through Christ’s obedience.
The Universality of Sin Magnifies the Greatness of Grace
In one sense, the universal reign of sin seems tragic. But in another sense, it magnifies the glory, goodness, and grace of God on display in the gospel. Darkness makes light shine brighter. God planned redemption in such a way “so that no human being might boast in the presence of God” (1 Corinthians 1:29). If people could save themselves by works, they would boast in themselves. But thanks be to God for the provision of Christ’s righteousness in the gospel!
The bad news of human sin makes the good news of divine grace shine gloriously. “But where sin increased, grace abounded all the more” (Romans 5:20). Recognizing the darkness of sin makes us cherish and celebrate the light of grace.
God Demonstrates Mercy to Totally Depraved Sinners
Far from being a discouragement, understanding the biblical doctrine that all people have sinned ought to bring hope. Paul says in Romans 11:32, “For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.” God planned for Jews and Gentiles alike to be imprisoned under sin so that He could demonstrate mercy to all types of sinners.
The ground is level at the foot of the cross. No sinner – no matter how wicked, vile, or evil – is beyond the reach of God’s grace in Christ. Jesus came to save the worst of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). Praise God for His merciful grace to totally depraved people!
We Must Recognize Our Sin to Be Saved
Why is it so vital to stress that all people have sinned? A proper understanding of sin is necessary to be saved. Those who think they are righteous apart from Christ will never look to Him in faith. We only come to Christ for forgiveness and cleansing when we acknowledge the depth of our own sinfulness.
The tax collector in Luke 18:9-14 cried out, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” It was this man, not the smug Pharisee, who went home justified. When we confess we have all sinned without exception, it drives us to our knees in dependence on Christ’s mercy.
Believers Are Declared Righteous in Christ
Though believers have sinned like everyone else, through faith in the gospel they are declared righteous in Christ. His perfect life and atoning death are credited to their account. This is the glorious truth of justification. God looks at believers as if we have never sinned and lived Christ’s sinless life. He declares us not guilty but righteous in His sight!
This does not mean believers never sin (1 John 1:8). But it does mean sin no longer has dominion over us and will one day be eradicated in glory. In the meantime, we rejoice that our standing before God rests on Christ’s righteousness alone.
Faith in Christ is the Only Way to Be Saved
If all people have sinned and face God’s just condemnation as a result, it follows that faith in Jesus Christ is the only way of salvation. Acts 4:12 states there is “no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” No amount of good works, religious rituals, or moral striving can atone for sin and reconcile us to God.
All people, Jew and Gentile, are equally condemned for their sin. All people, regardless of ethnicity, background, or social status, must be saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. Every other path leads to destruction. There is only one way to heaven, and that way is Christ.
Believers Are Called to Forgive Others Since We Are Forgiven
Recognizing that all people (including ourselves) have sinned should lead believers to extend the same grace and forgiveness towards others that God has given us. When Peter asked how many times he must forgive his brother, Jesus told the parable of the unforgiving servant (Matthew 18:21-35). Even though we have been forgiven an infinitely large debt of sin by God, we often refuse to forgive comparatively small debts when sinned against.
Knowing that we too are great sinners, saved only by grace, grants us humility and compassion to forgive others. We remember that we did not deserve God’s forgiveness either.
Conclusion
The sobering reality is that all people have sinned against God and face divine judgment. But the glory of the gospel is that sinners can be freely justified by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ. He alone lived the perfect life that we could not live and died the atoning death we deserved. What we could not earn, Christ has won for us.
Coming to terms with the universality and seriousness of sin leads to the foot of the cross. There, with the repentant tax collector, we cry out to God for mercy. And in His astounding grace, through faith in His Son, God mercifully justifies the ungodly (Romans 4:5). Despite our sin, He declares us righteous in Christ. Hallelujah, what a Savior!