Introduction: Sin is a terrible thing. Sin broke God's fellowship with the first man and woman, and made Adam and Eve leave the garden of Eden. Sin made the first man born into the world murder his brother. Sin brought about Noah's flood and the destruction of every human being on the face of the earth except for Noah and his family. Sin is what drove suicide bombers to hijack airplanes and destroy the World Trade Center. Sin is what causes people to lie, cheat and steal. Sin is what makes people drug addicts, and alcoholics. Sin is what breaks up marriages, and leaves children fatherless. Sin is a terrible thing. Psalm 53 teaches us three things about sin:
I. Psalm 53 tells us the definition of sin.
Sin is rebellion against God. (Ps. 53:1)
The fool says in his heart, "There is no God."
Atheists want us to think that they are very intelligent, and that they are atheists because they are so intelligent, and so fair minded, and that there just isn't any evidence of God's existence.
But they are fooling themselves, and trying to fool us, too. Reason is on the side of Faith.
Example: If you are walking on the beach, and you find a watch, and you hold it to your ear, and it ticks. And you see that the hands are going around and keeping time accurately. What do you know? You know that someone made the watch, and you know that the person who designed and made the watch was intelligent, and powerful. The world is far more intricately designed than any watch. Reason tells us that Someone made the world, and that that Someone is highly intelligent, and very powerful.
The one who says "There is no God" is a fool, because he has abandoned reason in favor of rebellion. He wants to live by his own rules, or lack or rules. He wants no interference from God, and so he says "There is no God."
Psa 2:2 The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the LORD and against his Anointed One.
Psa 2:3 "Let us break their chains," they say, "and throw off their fetters."
Rebellion and lawlessness are two words for the same thing, and sin is lawlessness.
1 John 3:4 Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. Sin is rebellion against God, and His laws.
II. Psalm 53 tells us how God feels about sin.
God considers sin to be corrupt (vss. 1 and 3) and vile (vs. 1).
The Hebrew words can also be translated "abominable, loathsome, detestable and filthy." This is the way you might feel when you see a big cockroach come crawling up from the drain in your sink while you are washing your face. God hates sin. He is offended by it. He is grieved by it, and He is put-off by it. God is completely clean and holy, and he will not compromise or live with sin.
The depth of God's hatred for sin may be seen in three events: The flood; the crucifixion; and the final judgment.
Sin is serious, more so than we can imagine.
III. Psalm 53 makes it clear to us that we are all sinners.
Psa 53:2 God looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.
Psa 53:3 Everyone has turned away, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.
Paul the Apostle quotes Psalm 53 and adds a little bit to it in Romans:
Rom 3:9 What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin.
Rom 3:10 As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one;
Rom 3:11 there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.
Rom 3:12 All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one."
Adam and Eve sinned. This brought about the Fall. When they sinned, they died spiritually. Because of what they did, the entire human race is sinful. We have sinful hearts, and we do sinful deeds. We sin as early as we can. We are born with sinful natures, and no one needs to show us how to break the Laws of God. We do it naturally. We are all sinners, and we all need a Savior.
Conclusion: Psalm 53 comes to an end with a prayer.
Psa 53:6 Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!
Salvation has indeed come out of Zion, God's holy hill. God did not leave us in our sins. God sent His Son to be our Savior. Jesus died, and made a sacrifice powerful enough to wash away the sins of all who come to Him for salvation. God's grace is greater than all our sins. Have you seen yourself as a sinner? Do you acknowledge that you cannot save yourself, and that you need a Savior? Have you believed in Christ for your salvation? If not, then why not today? Amen.