<p>3:18&nbsp;<i>T</i><i>here is no fear of God before their eyes</i>- Again, the language appropriate to the most hardened, atheistic blasphemer is being applied to all men, including Paul and all in Christ. This is Paul&rsquo;s attempt to shock us into a deeper realization of how serious our position is as sinners. He has already convicted us of in essence being lesbians and homosexuals in chapter 1; he has applied the language of atheists to us in Rom. 1:28; 3:10. And now he as it were crowns it all by quoting a description of the very dregs of human society, who live with no fear of God, and applying it to us- we who fear His judgment and condemnation in our faithlessness that His grace is enough to save us. It&rsquo;s a paradox- if we fear God&rsquo;s judgment, not believing in His grace, then we are categorized along with those who have&nbsp;<i>no</i>&nbsp;fear of God.</p><p>Although I have argued that Paul is quoting from the LXX of Psalm 14 here in Rom. 3:13-18, it would seem that this verse is also quoting Ps. 36:1: &ldquo;The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes&rdquo;. This has a strange appropriacy. David says that the sin of the wicked is speaking within&nbsp;<i>his</i>&nbsp;David&rsquo;s heart. This is the same spirit in which Paul is applying the descriptions of the very worst of humanity and admitting that in essence, this is what is going on within&nbsp;<i>his</i>&nbsp;heart and within the heart of every man. Truly, bad man only do what good mean dream of.</p>