Psalm 14 - The Verdict

 



The verdict

God, as I meditate on this psalm, I am overwhelmed by your gospel-graciousness. In reading verses 1-4, my mind immediately goes to Romans 3, where Paul quotes these verses as a final and declarative pronouncement of judgment upon all humanity.

God, I cannot squirm my way out from under this judgment. I can’t defend myself against this verdict. I can’t become my own defense attorney to make a case that would make me not guilty.

But God, you flip the script on its head. Instead of condemning the guilty fool and saving the righteous (as this psalm seems to declare), you saved the guilty fool by condemning the righteous. This is Paul’s gospel declaration - the just dying for the unjust so the unjust could be justified instead of condemned.

God, salvation did indeed come out of Zion (v. 7). Jesus, you restored (v. 7) to us all that our sin robbed from us. Thank you, Jesus, for turning our terror (v. 5) into gospel-gladness.

Amen

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