As it is written:  
   "There is no one righteous, not even one;  
    there is no one who understands,  
      no one who seeks God.  
 All have turned away,  
      they have together become worthless;  
   there is no one who does good,  
      not even one."
 "Their throats are open graves;  
      their tongues practice deceit."
   "The poison of vipers is on their lips."
 "Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness."  
 "Their feet are swift to shed blood;  
    ruin and misery mark their ways,  
 and the way of peace they do not know."

And lastly, for those who scoff at these claims:
    "There is no fear of God before their eyes."

And for those of us who agree with these claims, but only apply them to others:

You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment? Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?

 But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed.  God "will give to each person according to what he has done.”

Those we consciously or unconsciously accuse or perceive of being not right with God, may not be right with God, but we who pass judgment are no better. (I admit that I am guilty). All of us have fallen short of giving God the thanks, the praise, and the high esteem that He deserves. All of us have at the least not been perfectly honest about everything we say, or been respectful of the property of others, or slandered the name of God, or dishonored our parents, or committed murder in thought or word, or committed adultery in thought or word.

But why is considering this important?

In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead."

In other words, one day we will be judged for every deed, every word, every thought that is not in harmony or agreement with God’s Law. The verdict will be either guilty or not guilty. We will be either sentenced to pay the penalty in a place of darkness and isolation, absent of every good thing from God, absent of every good thing we have known, or we will have an eternal reward.

By what standard will this judgment be made?

The standards for the judgment have been in writing for the past 3500 years – the Ten Commandments. Those born before 1500 BC will be judged by the standard of their own conscience. If you are over 3500 years old, the Ten Commandments still apply because you have been alive after the writing of the Ten Commandments.

We won’t be judged on a curve, that is, by comparing ourselves with the performance of others. Nor can we earn extra credit to cover these over that is, do more good than bad to make up for violations. We won’t be judged on how we improved or bettered ourselves or made the world a better place. Our violations will not be overlooked. One violation of one Commandment and the offender will be rendered guilty.

Pretty tough standard, isn’t it? When the Bible says, “ALL have fallen short,” it is not speaking in exaggeration.

Examine yourself, and be honest. You (and I) have probably violated every commandment, if not in action, then in thought. For example, “Any man who lusts after a woman in his heart, has committed adultery.” No one can and no one has kept the Commandments (except Jesus Christ). This is not an issue of being good or moral. This is a legal issue and you and I are guilty.

So, what is the penalty? The wrath of God. As the Father of all, is it His duty to judgment rightly and punish rightly. If He doesn’t judge rightly and punish rightly, He is unjust and He shows His lack of love for those who have been wronged by others through sin though out all of history.

But knowing that each us of would be found guilty, God has shown His loving-kindness by offering to pay the penalty for our guilt and providing us with a credit of righteousness (an eternal bailout so to speak). 2000 years ago God the Father poured out His wrath on Jesus Christ on the cross and Jesus Christ took it willingly to pay our penalty. This is explained as follows:

But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,   and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished — he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

How can I receive His mercy?

Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law ( the Ten Commandments); rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.  But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.

God offers to credit us with His own righteousness (rightness with Himself). Think about these things.Think about these things. Think about these things. And ask God to help you understand your eternal situation. And when you finally have that “ah-ha moment” and you understand your desperate situation before a good and just God, call out to Jesus Christ for mercy and deliverance from what you are and what you deserve. He will turn away no one who comes to Him. I add my testimony that these things in the Bible are true.

Why do I write these things? One of my favorite preachers C. H. Spurgeon sums it up well (with my revisions near the end):

O, dear readers, if God would say to me, “I will tell you who they are that will reject your message and perish finally,” I would say, “My Good Lord, tell me no such thing! Conceal the secret! I do not wish to know it.” I think it would break my heart to look in some of your faces and think, “That man or woman will be in hell and be in anguish, and ask for a drop of water to cool his tongue.” I could not, bear to feel that it would be so. And yet I feel certain it will be so with some of you. Oh, I am staggered when I feel how some hear this message and do not get the blessing. I pray continually that some, if not all, may get God’s greatest blessing – eternal life through Jesus Christ.