A Psalm About Workers of Iniquity (Psalm #53)

Text: Psalm 53

Almost identical to Psalm 14

Godless at heart

…the fool hath said in his heart, There is no God… (vs 1)
Heart is hidden
- All workers of iniquity have religious beliefs. Their god is made in their image.
- At the crossroads of decision he has no higher authority than himself.
- Bro Joel Logan tells this story of having to deal with a man in his church about an issue. And when he went to that fellow, the man said this. He heard Joel out and said, “I don’t feel convicted about it.” Joel said, it doesn’t matter to me whether you feel convicted about it or not, this is what God said about it. You can either do what God said about it or quit serving where you are. The man quit.
- Now, you might say that’s so mean to run someone off like that. Joel didn’t run him off. He held up the Bible and said, This is the way we’re going. You’re welcome to go this direction of God’s word. But if you want to live as if “there is no God” then you have no part in God’s ministry.
Said in his heart, not in his head
- Godlessness is not a scientific explanation or an objective conclusion based on evidence.
And this is much bigger than an atheist because verse 2 says God looked out among the children of men
- Paul references these verses when indicting all of humanity with sin in Romans 3:9-12.

God looked down from heaven… to see… (vs 2)

The Lord looked down to see if there was anyone looking for him or who had understanding
- Genesis 2:19
- Genesis 11:5
- Genesis 18:21
…if there were any that did understand…
Romans 1:28, 31…without understanding when God is absent.
Parents can’t understand that their son who picked up a doll still isn’t a girl.
Generations of drug abuse can’t understand why…
…to see if there were any that did … and seek God.
You tell a teenager to clean up the mess in their room. The teen stands in their room, looks at the mess, and comes out ignoring the mess. Mom gets mad and says you walked right in your room, looked right at the mess, and pretended there was nothing to clean up.
- Now, why would someone do that? Because they don’t want to clean their room, so they’re not looking for a mess.
- Or, they shove the mess under their bed. Why? They don’t want to deal with the mess, so they cover up any evidence of the mess.
- …a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. (Hebrews 11:6)
- Look at Romans 2:1-9 and notice the basis for someone doing good and God responding.

They get themselves dirty and make those around them dirty

They are altogether become filthy… (vs 3)
The result of godlessness is filth. The result of godliness is clean and pure.
Isaiah 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
Colossians 3:8 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
2 Peter 2:7 And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked:
Yet, so many are on a crusade to rid the world of God and believing themselves to be “do gooders.”

Defined by their ignorance

Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? (vs 4)
You are harassed if you know anything by people who are educated. You say you can know something and they say, “You can’t know anything.”
If you don’t know anything, I don’t want to be anywhere near you.
- I’ve got to go to go to the grocery store. How do you know?
- That’s a red light. How do you know?

Afraid for no reason

There were they in great fear (vs 5)
This is specifically about Israelites who are workers of iniquity. God scattered their enemies, they were defeated, but these workers of iniquity were still terrified of their enemies because they didn’t believe God.
Afraid of defeated enemies, but no fear of making God their enemy.

…salvation of Israel… (vs 6)