Studies in the Psalms - Psalm 14

Dealing With the Problem of Self-Righteousness 

Recently I was speaking with a friend who stated that he was feeling conviction over the possibility of self-righteousness being something he needed to deal with. As a Christian, it is easy to find yourself in a position of self-righteousness. We look out at the world and what we see it is clearly out of control. We see a complete rejection of God’s law as greed, adultery, homosexuality, drunkenness, and all the other vices that used to be frowned upon, are now celebrated publicly by most. The latest news of my own home baseball team deciding to hold a gay pride night at the ballpark, is just one example of how far we have slid into the muck of sin and turned aside from God’s law. Romans 1:32 speaks to this saying that “Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.”

Psalm 14 is a straight forward look at who man “really is.” It starts off with the atheist; the one who denies God even exists.

Psalm 14:1

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds, there is none who does good.

The simple fact of the atheist is that he is a fool. The Old Testament uses three words that we translate fool. The word used here speaks of one who is like a stubborn animal that refuses to go where it is directed. This is more of a heart problem in being foolish, than a head problem.

In the time before God flooded the earth, verse 2 probably describes what God did.

Psalm 14:2-3
 The LORD looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one.

One has only to wonder if God is looking down right now and seeing the same thing. But in scripture we see that no matter where the world gets in terms of depravity, God always has a remnant. Before God sent the flood to wipe clean the earth, he found Moses. Though the Biblical narrative of the Old Testament is filled with stories of the Jews turning away from God and returning to idolatry, there is always a remnant that God has tucked away somewhere and even in the tribulation, Jews will be saved, as God has not given up on them even though they rejected the Messiah and put Him to death.

Today the atheists seem to be gaining ground. Christians are under attack. Just as the Jews always had their enemies.

Psalm 14:4
Have they no knowledge, all the evildoers who eat up my people as they eat bread and do not call upon the LORD?

But take hope in the fact that God knows His people; He sees the remnant.

Psalm 14:5-6
There they are in great terror, for God is with the generation of the righteous.
You would shame the plans of the poor, but the LORD is his refuge.

God is with the generation of the righteous. And this is exactly where we can slip up and fall into self-righteousness. You see the only true righteousness as Christians we have, is the imputed righteousness of Christ. Without the covering of the blood of Christ which justifies us in the eyes of God, we are the no different than the atheist of verse 1. We are fools, stubborn mules, if we think we have any righteous stand of our own.

Paul would quote this psalm as he wrote the Book of Romans. Listen to what he said.

Romans 3:9-18
What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one;
no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.” “The venom of asps is under their lips.” “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

This is us guys. All are under this curse of sin. None is righteous. No one seeks God. No one.

The truth of scripture is that God has chosen a remnant and if you are a Christian you are part of that group. If you think you have one, tiny little piece of good in you of your own accord then read this.

Ephesians 2:1-9
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children ofwrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

It’s all Him. It is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. There is no one who can boast.

We need to remind ourselves every day of this truth. The psalmist knew that Jesus was coming to save us from our own depravity. We were dead in trespasses and sin before He saved us.

Psalm 14:7
Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When the LORD restores the fortunes of his people, let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad.

Salvation has come out of Zion. Now what?

Ephesians 2:10
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Come to grips with your own need for the Lord’s salvation and then walk in the workmanship that you are. You were created to serve Christ. So, when you see the fallen people of the world doing what sinners do, instead of thinking more highly of yourself than you ought (Romans 12:3), try reaching out to the depraved with the message of the Gospel, for it is the power of salvation to everyone who believes (Romans 1:16).

Feeling self-righteous? Open God’s Word and turn to the Book of Romans. Come to grips with the fact that you are no better than those who reject God, save for the fact that God has made you alive. He has brought you back from the dead. Paul asks and answers the question of self-righteousness.

Romans 3:27
Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith.

Praise God. He raised you from the dead.