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Romans 1:1-3:31

All Have Sinned

Lyrics · Romans

All Have Sinned

Romans 1:1-3:31

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About this song

About this song

This song belongs to the Romans collection. One recording is available to play here, with the complete lyrics below.

Bible book
Romans
Collection
Romans
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Uncategorized
[Opening Declaration] The gospel is power, salvation made known, To Jew first and Gentile, by faith it is shown. The just shall live by the promise received, But wrath is revealed where the truth is suppressed. [Inventory I] Creation gave witness, yet glory was traded, The image of God into creatures degraded. Professing themselves to be wise, they became Darkened in heart while dishonoring His name. [Refrain] All have sinned and come short of the glory, Every mouth is stopped by the weight of the story. No flesh can be justified boasting in law, The Judge sees the heart beneath every applause. [Inventory II] The moralist judges and practices the same, The hearer of law cannot shelter in name. Circumcision outward is never enough, The hidden man answers when conscience is touched. [Chorus] But now the righteousness of God is revealed, Witnessed by prophets and law, not concealed. Through faith in Jesus Christ unto all who believe, Freely by grace through redemption received. All have sinned, yet mercy has spoken, The blood of atonement has opened the way. [Bridge] Where then is boasting? It has been excluded, Not by the works that the proud have computed. One God will justify both by the same, Faith does not void law, but establishes its claim. [Final Chorus] All have sinned and come short of the glory, But grace writes the turn in the center of the story. No rank and no nation can purchase release, Righteousness comes through the faith God has given. [Coda] Every mouth was stopped, Then grace began to speak.

Named in this songJesus Christ

About the passage

Romans 1: A gospel wide enough for Rome, an indictment wide enough for humanity

Romans 1 opens with a greeting that already carries the letter's architecture: Israel's promised Scriptures, Davidic descent, resurrection power, apostleship, and a mission among the nations all meet in Jesus Christ. Paul's hoped-for visit to Rome is not a celebrity appearance. He expects the Romans' faith to strengthen him as well. The governing announcement then arrives: the gospel is God's power unto salvation, revealing righteousness by faith to Jew first and also to Greek. From that height Paul turns to the human refusal of the Creator. The descent begins in worship before it appears in conduct. Glory is exchanged for images, truth for a lie, and proper relations for disordered desire. Three times God "gave them up," and the final list widens the indictment far beyond sexual sin to envy, deceit, pride, cruelty, and approval of wrongdoing.

Study Romans 1 in depth

Romans 2: The judge steps into the dock

Romans 2 turns the indictment toward the person who found chapter 1 easy to condemn. Accurate moral judgment does not become an exemption from the standard being applied. God's patience points toward repentance, and his judgment is described without ethnic favoritism. Paul then distinguishes possessing the law from doing what it requires, allowing Gentile conscience to testify even where the Mosaic law is not possessed. When the specifically Jewish interlocutor comes into view, the advantages are substantial: knowledge, instruction, guidance, and the law itself. Yet the teacher is examined by the syllabus he teaches. Circumcision receives the same treatment. Paul does not call the sign worthless, but he denies that an outward mark can substitute for covenant obedience. The chapter ends at the heart, where praise from God rather than praise from people becomes the decisive approval.

Study Romans 2 in depth

Romans 3: Every mouth stopped, righteousness disclosed

Romans 3 answers the obvious question raised by chapter 2: if outward privilege does not acquit, has Jewish advantage disappeared? Paul says no, beginning with the entrusting of God's oracles, but privilege cannot convert unbelief into an excuse or make God unfaithful. A chain of scriptural accusations then sweeps across speech, movement, thought, and desire until "every mouth" is stopped and both Jew and Gentile stand under sin. At that point the letter turns with "But now." God's righteousness is manifested apart from works of law while still being witnessed by the law and prophets. Grace, redemption, Christ's blood, and faith answer a real charge rather than pretending there was none. Boasting is excluded not by better manners but by the way justification is received. One God justifies circumcised and uncircumcised through faith, and Paul closes by insisting that this does not make the law void.

Study Romans 3 in depth