The outline:
1) The charge.
a) None righteous.
b) None understands.
c) None seeks God.
2) The evidence.
a) Character.
b) Conduct.
c) Cause.
Some notes:
A charge against all humans, a charge against every human.
The lack of righteousness is not simply a matter of what we have and haven’t done. It speaks of our very nature. We are not thinking about degrees or percentages of righteousness, some sort of score-card. From God’s perspective, righteousness is absent. Our perspective usually revolves around whether people are better or worse than average (or ourselves). Think of it qualitatively, not quantitatively.
In the same way the lack of understanding spoken of is not a lack of knowledge. Rather is a failure to accept and believe that which God proclaims about Himself and humanity in His Word. Remember the suppression of the knowledge of God which is referred to in Chapter 1. The Gospel itself falls under this distinction. True understanding is spiritually discerned.
From the understanding of the first two, the idea that none seeks God can be appreciated. All other spiritual activity which can be discerned is not a seeking of God, but an avoidance of Him. Don’t be fooled by the notion that people are ‘spiritual’ or ‘God-seekers’. If they aren’t convicted of their need for reconciliation with the God who made all things and who made them, they aren’t seeking at all. They’re running.
We can recall that Adam’s transgression has led to all those descended from being fallen in their nature. Many today, even those in the church feel that their natures are perfectly able to respond to God. In contrast this passage of Scripture teaches us that unless God transforms our natures we will never want Him at all.
This is demonstrated as Paul turns to Scripture itself and quotes its description of human nature.
Our character is summed up in Romans 3:12 (Psalm 14:3 and 53:3). It seems unrelentingly bleak. It is.
Our conduct is revealed in verses 13-17. The string of references from the Psalms is compelling because it is not a composition of Paul’s but a summary of Scripture.
Lastly verse 18 speaks of the fear of God being absent. This is why our characters and conduct are under condemnation.
All of this is summed up in the closing statement of verses 19 and 20. The law was not intended to prove people righteous. It was provided to give an inescapable testimony of human unrighteousness.
Our advantage, our particular blessing in all of this is that we who are under the testimony of the Scriptures, we who are nurtured in the life of the church have a clear testimony about our need and should respond all the more earnestly to the offer of the Gospel.
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