There are over 600 scriptures about righteousness. Our job as students of the Bible is to harmonize all of them, including the one in Romans 3:10, which says, “There are none righteous, no, not one.”
If we are pitting that scripture against other scriptures, then we are not harmonizing, and we are not understanding the scriptures.
We can’t take Romans 3:10 at face value. If we do, we have tossed hundreds of scriptures into the dustbin.
This article does not list all 600 scriptures, but it’s enough to show that a person is righteous because of conduct, not belief. More specifically, scriptures show us:
- How many righteous people there are,
- Why they are righteous,
- Why the unrighteous are unrighteous,
- All wickedness is sin, but not all sin is wickedness,
- “Sinner” in Scripture does not mean “anyone who sins”,
- There is a penalty (punishment) for wickedness, but no penalty for sin.
Primary Scripture
This is about as close to a definition as you will find in the Bible:
Little children, be not deceived. He who does righteousness is righteous. (1 John 3:7)
Other translations of 1 John 3:7 –
The one who does what is right is righteous. (CSB, EHV, EXB, GNT, NIV)
The person who practices righteousness is righteous. (CEB, DARBY, ESV, ISV, NASB, NKJV)
The one doing righteousness is righteous. (DLNT, YLT, Douay Rheims, KJV)
1. The Prevalence of Righteous People in the Bible
First, let’s look at several scriptures that show the prevalence of righteous people in the Bible but don’t say why they are righteous. We will follow that with scriptures that indicate why they are righteous, followed by scriptures about the unrighteous, which include why they are.
Noah, Daniel, and Job: “This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God.” (Genesis 6:9) “Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver their own lives by their righteousness, declares the Lord God.” (Ezekiel 14:14) “He did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others (2 Peter 2:5)
David refers to numerous righteous people around him: “The LORD tries the righteous: but the wicked and him that loves violence his soul hates.” “Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, you righteous: and shout for joy, all you that are upright in heart.” “The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry. The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.” “A little that a righteous man has is better than the riches of many wicked.” “Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name: the righteous shall compass me about; for thou shalt deal bountifully with me.” (Psalm 11:5, 32:11, 34:15, 37:16, 142:7)
Solomon refers to the many righteous in his day: [A judge] who justifies the wicked and [a judge] who condemns the righteous… are an abomination to the Lord. It is also not good to fine the righteous, nor to strike the noble for their uprightness. To show partiality to the wicked is not good, nor to thrust aside the righteous in judgment. (Proverbs 17:15, 26, 18:5)
The victims of a despotic regime: “Can a corrupt throne be allied with you– one that brings on misery by its decrees? They band together against the righteous and condemn the innocent to death.” (Psalm 94:20-21)
The whole city of Jerusalem before it went bad: “How is the faithful city become a harlot! It was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers.” (Isaiah 1:21)
Everyone who has hope in a resurrection to life because he is righteous: “The wicked is driven away in his wickedness, but the righteous has hope in his death.” (Proverbs 14:32)
Everyone who is not wicked: The wicked man flees, though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion. (Proverbs 28:1)
Simeon: “There was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. (Luke 2:25)
2. People are Righteous Because of Their Conduct, Not Their Belief
All who do what is right: Little children, be not deceived, he who does what is right is righteous. (1 John 3:7)
Abel: Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous. (1 John 3:12)
Abraham: “Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?” (James 2:21)
Lot: “He rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men, for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard.” (2 Peter 2:7-8)
David: “The LORD has dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me. For I have kept the ways of the Lord; I have not done evil by turning from my God. All his laws are before me; I have not turned away from his decrees. I have been blameless before him and have kept myself from sin. The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness in his sight. ‘To the faithful you show yourself faithful, to the blameless you show yourself blameless, to the pure you show yourself pure, but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd.’” (2 Samuel 22:21-27)
Those who give graciously: The wicked borrows and does not pay back, but the righteous is gracious and gives. (Psalm 37:21)
Those who speak wisdom and justice: The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice. (Psalm 37:30)
Those who freed their slaves: “Recently you repented and did what is right in my sight: Each of you proclaimed freedom to his countrymen.” (Jeremiah 34:14) Someone who does what is right is the very definition of a righteous person, according to 1 John 3:7.
The righteous Israelites of Ezekiel 18: “Suppose there is a righteous man who does what is just and right. He does not eat at the mountain shrines or look to the idols of the house of Israel. He does not defile his neighbor’s wife or lie with a woman during her period. He does not oppress anyone, but returns what he took in pledge for a loan. He does not commit robbery but gives his food to the hungry and provides clothing for the naked. He does not lend at usury or take excessive interest. He withholds his hand from doing wrong and judges fairly between man and man. He follows my decrees and faithfully keeps my laws. That man is righteous; he will surely live, declares the Sovereign LORD.” (Ezekiel 18:5-9)
Winners in cases brought before God at the temple: Solomon expected a positive outcome for the righteous when God heard from heaven and judged between the wicked and the righteous. He prayed, “Then hear in heaven, and act, and judge Your servants, condemning the wicked, bringing his way on his head, and justifying the righteous by giving him according to his righteousness.” (1 Kings 8:32, see also 2 Chronicles 6:23)
Officials who don’t take bribes: Deuteronomy says that a bribe “perverts the words of the righteous.” Instead of doing the right thing (acting righteously), an official accepting a bribe says what he has been paid to say, going against what he knows to be right. A righteous official, one who does not accept bribes, will not have his better judgment perverted by a bribe. (Deuteronomy 16:19)
Those who promote an effective justice system without destruction, violence, and conflict, i.e., the ones who don’t pervert justice: “Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds. Therefore, the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted.” (Habakkuk 1:3-4)
A good man who shows favor to others: “A good man shows favor, and lends: he will guide his affairs with discretion. Surely he shall not be moved for ever: the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance.” (Psalm 112:5-6)
Those who feed the hungry and do other acts of kindness: Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?” The King will reply, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” (Matthew 25:37-40, 46)
Those who are faithful to God: Behold, as for the proud one, his soul is not right within him, but the righteous will live by his faithfulness. (Habakkuk 2:4) For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faithfulness to faithfulness. As it is written, “But the righteous man shall live by his faithfulness.” (Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11, Hebrews 10:38, all quoting Habakkuk 2:4)
John the Baptist’s parents: “And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.” (Luke 1:6)
Cornelius: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right.” (Acts 10:34-35)
3. Unrighteousness, Wickedness, and Evildoing Are the Opposite of Righteousness
“Far be it from You to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike.” (Genesis 18:25)
“Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just: for the righteous God tries the hearts and reins. My defense is of God, which saves the upright in heart. God judges the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day. (Psalm 7:9)
The Lord examines both the righteous and the wicked. He hates those who love violence. For the Lord is righteous, he loves righteousness. The upright will behold His face. (Psalm 11:5, 7)
“Suppose he [the righteous father above in Ezekiel 18] has a violent son, who sheds blood or does any of these other things, though the father has done none of them: He eats at the mountain shrines. He defiles his neighbor’s wife. He oppresses the poor and needy. He commits robbery. He does not return what he took in pledge. He looks to the idols. He does detestable things. He lends at interest and takes a profit. Will such a man live? He will not! Because he has done all these detestable things, he is to be put to death; his blood will be on his own head. (Ezekiel 18:10-13)
Thus says the Lord GOD, “Enough, you princes of Israel; put away violence and destruction, and practice justice and righteousness.” (Ezekiel 45:9)
[A prophecy about Jesus] You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness. (Psalm 45:7)
Having a hope in God, which these men cherish, that there shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. (Acts 24:15)
The law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers… (1 Timothy 1:9). Note: How can we say the Law was given to condemn everyone if it wasn’t even made for righteous people?
The righteous in the Bible are also contrasted with people who are: fools, perverting justice, treacherous, deceivers, cruel, greedy, unjust, lazy and won’t work, murderers, committing abominations, adulterers, shameless, hypocrites and lawless, spiritually sick, fraudulent, and being stiff-necked and obstinate toward God.
“None Are Righteous” is Hyperbole, and Not Universal
This isn’t all 600 scriptures about righteousness, but it is enough to give us the idea that “None are righteous, no, not one,” in Romans 3:10 was not meant for all people of all time or even for all of the people at any given time and place. It’s hyperbole – exaggeration for effect. Paul was talking about the spiritual condition of his people, particularly the leadership (Pharisees and Sadducees), quoting Psalm 14.
Even though in the same Psalm, where it says, “The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. All have turned away, all have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one,” just two verses later it says, “But there they are, overwhelmed with dread, for God is present in the company of the righteous.”
So there are none righteous, yet there is a company of the righteous?
Context my friends, context.
“None” can’t be taken literally, obviously.
Speaking of context, several elements in Romans 3:10 indicate that Paul was not being literal when he quoted the Psalms to say “none are righteous”. I go through it in There Are None Righteous – Except for Everyone Who Is
4. All Wickedness is Sin, But Not All Sin is Wickedness
The Greek word for “sin” is hamartia, often described as “missing the mark.” If the mark is God’s will, then even being inconsiderate is sin.
But Scripture does not treat all sin the same. There is a difference between failing and being wicked. “Wickedness” is not merely missing the mark—it is moral corruption. It is the kind of wrongdoing that hardens a person, produces injustice, and brings harm. Everyone sins; not everyone is wicked. All wickedness is sin, but not all sin rises to the level of wickedness.
This distinction is built into the Law itself. The sacrificial system provided atonement for human failure—sins committed in ignorance, sins later recognized, and ordinary lapses that could be confessed and addressed. But it drew a hard line at defiance. “High-handed” sin—deliberate, willful rebellion—had no sacrificial remedy (Numbers 15:30–31). That is why crimes like murder and adultery were not “covered” by sacrifice. They required judgment. No offering could atone for a life that had become corrupt.
And this exposes a major misunderstanding: atonement is not the same as salvation.
Atonement, in the Old Testament, means purification—not rescue from eternal condemnation. The land itself could be “atoned for” through the execution of a murderer (Numbers 35:33). The tabernacle required atonement. The altar required atonement. None of these needed “saving.” They needed ritual cleansing.
The same is true of the sacrificial system as a whole. It was never a mechanism for securing salvation, and the Jews never saw it as such. It was God’s provision for dealing with failure within a life oriented toward righteousness.
In other words, sacrifices were not a substitute for being good—they were for those who were trying to be.
5. “Sinner” in Scripture Does Not Mean “Anyone Who Sins.”
Another source of confusion is the word sinner. Today, we often use it to mean anyone who sins. But in Scripture, “sinners” are often treated as a distinct group—people whose lives are characterized by ongoing wrongdoing.
Luke 15:1–2 – “The tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him…”
These “sinners” are a recognizable group, distinct from others. If the term meant everyone, the distinction would make no sense.
Mark 2:17 – “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Jesus contrasts two groups. If “sinners” meant all people without exception, the statement would lose its meaning.
This helps clarify James 5:19–20:
“Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death…”
James is not talking about rescuing someone for committing a single sin, but restoring someone who has entered into a dangerous, wayward pattern of life.
Why This Matters
If every sin made a person “evil,” then no distinction could be made between:
- Someone who stumbles but desires to do right, and
- Someone who embraces and practices wrongdoing
But Scripture consistently maintains this distinction, from one end of the Bible to the other.
John 3:19 specifically explains the basis for judgment, and it’s not lack of belief:
“This is the judgment [that is, the cause for indictment, the test by which people are judged, the basis for the sentence]: the Light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.” (John 3:19 – The Amplified Bible)
Other translations say,
“This is the basis for judgment…” (ISV, NET Bible, NWT)
“This is the test…” (Weymouth, BBE)
“This is why people are condemned…” (GOD’S WORD Translation)
By the way, John 3:19 provides the antitheses to John 3:16, which tells us what it means to “believe in Jesus”. “Believing in Jesus” to avoid judgment is all about how we live, not about accepting a faith formula for salvation.
John 3:19 tells us that God’s judgment is not based on isolated missteps alone, but on the heart, direction, and pattern of a person’s life.
Summary
- Sin can describe an act of falling short
- Evil describes a settled pattern or condition
- “Sinner” often refers to those characterized by ongoing wrongdoing
- A person can be righteous and still sin
6. There is a Penalty for Wickedness, No Penalty for Sin
“The wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23) This describes the wages of sin, or in other words, the temporal consequences of sin, not an eternal penalty or punishment for sin. It’s what we “earn” for our sin, and we “get paid as we go” every day, just as Adam and Eve earned death the day they ate the forbidden fruit, per Genesis 2:17 – “In the day you shall eat of it, you shall die.”
Daily spiritual death includes the bondage we are in because of our sin. Jesus came to set us free from this bondage, which is to say, he came to give us life.
Jesus said in John 10:10, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” We believe that the abundant life he gave is for the here and now, not just for the afterlife. It is the same with spiritual death. We experience that in our lives today as a consequence of our sin.
These scriptures about spiritual life also explain the wages of sin:
Proverbs 10:11 – The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
Proverbs 21:21 – He who pursues righteousness and kindness finds life, righteousness, and honor.
John 8:12 – “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.”
Romans 6:13 – Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness.
Romans 8:10 – If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness.
Romans 8:13 – (New Century Version) If you use your lives to do the wrong things your sinful selves want, you will die spiritually. But if you use the Spirit’s help to stop doing the wrong things you do with your body, you will have true life.”
2 Corinthians 3:6 – He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
1 John 3:14 – “We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death.”
None of these scriptures would make sense if we are thinking that the death spoken of in “in the day you eat of that fruit you shall die” is eternal death.
None of these scriptures would make sense if we think that the death Paul mentions in “the wages of sin is death” is eternal death.
These scriptures clearly show that both life and death happen to us every day, depending on our conduct.
The idea of eternal life and death as a consequence for all sin is the result of the Doctrine of Original Sin invented by Augustine in the 5th century. That doctrine has been the foundation of Soteriology (salvation theology) for the Western Church, which includes both Protestants and Catholics. The Eastern Church at the time rejected this innovation in the Western Church. That church is now the Eastern Orthodox Church, after the East and West had a split called The Great Schism in 1050 AD. The EO have preserved and maintained the ancient Apostolic Faith of Jesus and his Apostles that was “once and for all delivered to the saints,” as the Christian faith is described in Jude 3.
The Doctrine of Original Sin has become an attempt to condemn all humans for being human, even though we are “fearfully and wonderfully made”.
In our day and age, we seem to work hard to condemn the whole human race. This universal condemnation I call Universal Condemnation Because Human (UCBH).
Careful exegesis of scriptures will reveal to us a God who is better than that. He doesn’t condemn us for being human.
God hasn’t given anyone the ability to make it through life without sinning. Saying God condemns us for what we have no control over is saying God is the most unjust and horrible being in the universe.
The scriptures are replete with verses that tell us there is judgment for wickedness, but none regarding judgment on all humans, for all sin, if we take them all together and don’t ignore any of them.
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