1 The fool has said in his heart,
"There is no God."
They are corrupt, and have done abominable iniquity;
There is none who does good.
2 God looks down from heaven upon the children of men,
To see if there are any who understand, who seek God.
3 Every one of them has turned aside;
They have together become corrupt;
There is none who does good,
No, not one.—Psalm 53
David declares here that there is none righteous. Paul reiterates this in Romans Chaper 3. Speaking to the Jews, those who had the promises of God he says:
What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.—Romans 3:9–12
Jeremiah declares in Chapter 17 of his book that the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked…Who can know it?
Beloved…concerning every human on the face of this earth the divine diagnosis is that no one does good because all have sinned. This is a necessary thing. Not only because it shows us our desperate need for the salvation of God, but of late I am realizing that it also helps me when dealing with my fellow humans.
The Bible is clear…none of us can do good. We are all sinners. We need the Spirit of God dwelling in our hearts to walk in the will and way of our God and even then, we stumble. Why then am I so surprised and disappointed when a fellow human (sinner) shows the same proclivity to sin as I do and sins against me?
One word. Pride. My offense is sin. My pride has risen up because it thinks I deserve more than I am getting. Um…I don’t. But for my God’s precious grace at Calvary, I would deserve only suffering and death.
For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in His Son.
I can lower my expectations of people…saved and unsaved…with whom God in His sovereignty has surrounded me. Knowing and remembering that I am encompassed and yes, even married to a sinner like me can, if I think on it rightly, stir my compassion and leave me freer to love others as God does. I am subject to the same fleshly weaknesses. When my brothers and sisters inevitably stumble in sin as I also do, I can choose not to be surprised or offended. Instead of judging or condemning them, I can show them compassion. I can pray for them and ask God to show them the same mercy He relentlessly and continually shows me when I sin.
The closer I draw to the Lord the more obvious to me my sin becomes. How more and more wonderful to my heart then, are these words from Romans Chapter 5.
Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, 21 so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.—Romans 5:20-21
If you are reading this and believe that you, also, are under the indictment that David speaks of here, that is all you need to receive the sweet, merciful forgiveness that is found in Jesus Christ. His amazing grace is for you. Go to Him, confess your sin and ask Him to be your Lord and your Savior.
14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.—John 3:14-17
28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."—Matthew 11:28-30
