The Corrupted Mind Denies God

Call to Worship

Good Evening, we continue tonight on our series on the Wisdom Psalms with Psalm 14, in the New American Standard having the title, “Folly and Wickedness of Men,” this Psalm is attributed to King David, written to a choir director, likely to perform. I also want to highlight two great homilies by Basil the Great and Jerome throughout. So,

Scripture Reading

Let us begin this evening with an exploration of Scripture...

Old Testament

A reading from the Old Testament, the Book of Psalms, the First Psalm. May God bless the reading of His word,

Psalm 14 “For the choir director. A Psalm of David. The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they have committed abominable deeds; There is no one who does good. The Lord has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men To see if there are any who understand, Who seek after God. They have all turned aside, together they have become corrupt; There is no one who does good, not even one. Do all the workers of wickedness not know, Who eat up my people as they eat bread, And do not call upon the Lord? There they are in great dread, For God is with the righteous generation. You would put to shame the counsel of the afflicted, But the Lord is his refuge. Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion! When the Lord restores His captive people, Jacob will rejoice, Israel will be glad.”

This is the word of God.

New Testament

A reading from the New Testament, the Letter of Paul to the Church in Rome,

Romans 3:10–12 “as it is written, “There is none righteous, not even one; There is none who understands, There is none who seeks for God; All have turned aside, together they have become useless; There is none who does good, There is not even one.””

Lord’s Prayer / Prayer of Divine Invocation

Let this be a reminder that the Lord be with you. And with your Spirit. Let us pray.

Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. 

Almighty God, to You all hearts are open, all desires known, and from You no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of Your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love You, and worthily magnify Your holy Name; through Christ our Lord. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. We say this in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Sermon

We turn again to Psalms, this peculiar genre of Scripture delivered to us as a simplification of biblical doctrine and edification. The Psalm begins with a declaration and signing, To the choir director (Overseer) by King David. David wrote, at least specifically 73 of the Psalms. These psalms cover various periods of his life, from his time as a shepherd and outlaw to his reign as king. Some psalms are linked to specific events in his life, like his sin with Bathsheba or his flight from Saul. Like how a good musical artist can express their deepest emotions through lyrics, so did David, a talented Harpist and musician, accomplish the same in the Word of God.

David, an imperfect man by all measures, one of great sin, but one chosen by God to lead His people, and do so bravely. And in today’s Psalm, we see this humility David expresses, of the reality of his human nature—what the Jews refer to as yetzer hara (the inclination to do evil) and the Christian’s as original sin. In fact, I want to give a brief sketch throughout today’s sermon on why the latter is the better term, and why it encompasses a fulfilled view of the Jewish model. Lastly, we delve into why the theologian Reinhold Niebuhr referred to original sin as “the only empirically verifiable doctrine of the Christian faith.”

In this vein, then, the first three verses repeat a theme ever present throughout Scripture, that “there is no one who does good, not even one.” This idea pervades throughout this Psalm, throughout Scripture, and is positively exposited through our reading of the context surrounding it. What surrounds it is a humbling reality of the foolish man, one of many warnings against such a life in Scripture’s Wisdom Literature. Hence, “the fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’” That is, that everything can be explained by natural proof. That there is no supernatural, that is, that which is beyond or above what is natural.

And without the belief in God, which should be understood as the divine from the Hebrew, can seem to imply no belief in that which brings all good (God) and betrays with evil (Satan). The Quaker John Wilkinson does a great job describing how the folly of lack of belief in existence of God comes from an adversarial force: “One of the artifices of Satan is, to induce men to believe that he does not exist.” And atheism (believing in no divine source for Creation) seems to be a stronger religion than agnosticism (believing in some source), as you’re made to hold for no grounds for reality, creation, and certainty except by what was. It’s certainly a difficult position to hold.

Saint Basil distinguishes between the “senseless” and the “fool.” He says the senseless lacks practical reason and is ignorant in human matters, but the fool lacks “an understanding of God the Father and the acceptance of the Word.” And the Word, as John tells us, “was with God and was God” (John 1:1). The fool, then, rejects God’s very nature revealed in Christ, while the senseless may just be unknowingly unaware.

Now we have this powerful realization that to deny God is not merely an intellectual misjudgment, but a moral rebellion: “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’” Notably, this foolishness is not ignorance—it is culpable blindness. What is man, then, without God? And what is Christ, then, but the fulfillment (i.e. perfect example) of what our human nature can be.

In other words, to deny God is to become less than human. It is to deny Him who created us and humanity writ large. The pride of man becomes his undoing. His supposed wisdom—when divorced from the fear of the Lord—turns against him.

Saint Jerome, likewise, offers a sharp rebuke to the deniers of God in his homily to the catechumens. Preaching during Lent, he said, “David is our Christ… on the fourteenth day a lamb is sacrificed; on the fourteenth day when the moon is a full moon, when its light is at its brightest. You see Christ is not immolated except in perfect and full light”. His message is clear: just as the lamb of Exodus was sacrificed in the light, so too does the light of Christ expose the darkness of those who say, “There is no God.” To deny God is to retreat into darkness, and to be unable to see yourself.

But even this darkness cannot obscure God's vision. And what does this mean for the Church? It means we are surrounded by fools—not in the pejorative sense, but in the biblical sense. The rejection of God is not neutral ground. It is the fruit of moral decay. Jerome said it plainly: “He does not recognize the Creator in His creatures—[that man] is a fool”. And this is not merely a mental lapse. This is spiritual suicide.

And almost in a Noahic manner, David writes on the manner of how God has “Ps. 14:2-3 looked down from heaven upon the sons of men / To see if there are any who act wisely, / Who seek after God. / They have all turned aside, together they have become corrupt;”. God sees. God knows. God searches the hearts. And what He finds, according to David, is terrifying: “They have all turned aside.” The universality of sin is absolute. No one escapes the charge: “There is no one who does good, not even one.”

Paul echoes this in Romans 3: “There is none righteous, not even one… All have turned aside.” This is not poetic exaggeration. This is theology. This is anthropology. This is the doctrine of original sin—and history confirms it, psychology confirms it, and every war, every lie, every betrayal confirms it. It is a basic but crucial Scriptural truth, that we are broken. And the verse stands in Paul’s letter as an answer to if the works of the law (which include things like circumcision) are beneficial in the sight of Christ Jesus. His answer is no, that none are righteous, all need grace, which comes from faith in Christ.

So not only are we told who the fools are, but that we may be complicit. Is the man who says, “There is no God,” acting much different than one who says there is a God but does not revere Him. Now, it would seem that this is a natural attitude of man prescribed to us by David’s scornful writing. We are unable to see God except through Him. By His works alone, not ours.

Notice how when the Lord looks down in David’s Psalm, he does not see fools and wise, but he seeks for any who “act wisely” (NASB understand). Yet all turned aside, become corrupt, and no one does good, not one. Compared to God, our sins are infinitely deserving of punishment. But He does not want that for us. All He asks is that we recognize our foolishness, our inability to act wise alone, and an amenable heart, soul, and mind. Hence why the author of the Proverbs writes, Proverbs 9:10 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” True wisdom comes from pushing back on the claim that “there is no God,” no matter how distant he may seem at any one moment, and to wisdom, knowledge, and understanding that comes with and through God. Christ as the wisdom of God precipitates our deep understanding as broken humans anxious to be reconciled. All have turned aside, yet He turns to us.

And the way of the wicked, in which we all take part, is not a way we want to walk. It may seem basic, but the Psalm reminds us how Psalm 14:5 “they are in great dread, For God is with the righteous generation.” They are in great dread not only for their wickedness, but because that wickedness is not repented for. This is because they “do no call upon the Lord.” They are not following that which was originally desired for them.

And the Lord is with, about, and for the righteous generation. Wisdom Literature in general is often used in a humbling manner. Oh, you think this is how Scripture functions or this is how God works? Think again, for you do not have proper understanding. This Psalm is no different. David, blessed and holy he be, who has seen lots and many, writes this Psalm from the perspective of himself but prescriptive for all of human. David sinned, did not understand, turned aside, was corrupt with power. He did not so good at all times, fed his people to enemy armies with nothing but his personal desire as a goal. And he writes this letter, himself in great dread, and as a warning for those to come.

But do not be unassured, for God works in time, but often outside ours. All will come to judgment. As it is written, “You would put to shame the counsel of the afflicted, / But the Lord is his refuge.” We must not forget that this Psalm was likely sung during corporate worship. It was meant to be heard and internalized by a congregation much like ours. It was both confession and instruction. And today, it calls us still—to humble ourselves, to search our hearts, and to look up.

Look up—and take refuge. That is what Psalm 14:6–7 commands. It is not only a warning, but a window of hope. “You would put to shame the counsel of the afflicted,” David writes—not hypothetically, but factually. The wicked mock the poor, they scorn the lowly who place their trust in God. The afflicted in Israel’s society were often those who clung to the Lord in faith, even when everything else was stripped away. And their “counsel,” their hope, their prayers, their confidence in divine justice—was ridiculed. The world sees that kind of trust as foolish.

But the Psalm turns. “The Lord is his refuge.” And in that one line, everything changes. The afflicted one is not without shelter. He is not abandoned. The one whom the world mocks is, in fact, upheld by the Lord of Hosts.

Saint Augustine commented here that “The counsel of the poor is Christ crucified.” And it is precisely this counsel, this seemingly weak and foolish message of the cross, that the world rejects. But to us who are being saved, it is the power of God. The afflicted are not fools. They are those who have staked their lives on the mercy of God. And God, says David, is their refuge.

And the final verse is on restoration/reconciliation: Psalm 14:7 “Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion! When the Lord restores His captive people, Jacob will rejoice, Israel will be glad.” And Christ did come from Zion, the Levant. Jesus Christ fulfilled the prophecy and the law, such that Israel would be saved and come out of Zion. From the physical to the heavenly.

But while Scripture says “Israel will be glad,” we must understand this as the Christian church which Israel was grafted into, founded on Christ. Not all of Israel is Israel. For Basil adds a chilling warning: “They who perished in their own folly left us their wealth… The commandments are ours, the prophets and patriarchs are ours… They who perished in their own folly left us their wealth.” He means that Israel, in rejecting the Messiah, forfeited the inheritance. And now we, as Gentiles, have inherited the spiritual riches of the covenant. But with that comes a warning: if we too forget God, if we too fall into folly, will we not forfeit the same?

So what are we to do?

Let us begin by remembering that the fool “says in his heart” there is no God. Not necessarily with his lips—but in his heart. The Hebrew word lev (לֵב) implies the core of the person, the center of thought, emotion, and will. It is possible, then, to say with the lips “I believe in God” while the heart remains distant. The fool may sit in the pew. The fool may offer belongings. But inwardly, if the heart denies God's Lordship, he is as lost as the atheist.

This is why David speaks not just to the external life, but to the internal condition. It is the heart that must be transformed. And this transformation is not accomplished through education, wealth, or social reform—but only through regeneration.

Saint Jerome, writing to monks, challenged them to look inward. “We have given up our property, abandoned our country, renounced the world… and in the monastery we quarrel over a reed pen.” Even in monastic life, foolishness creeps in. Even in our devotions, we may harbor bitterness, pride, or unbelief. And this is why repentance must be daily. Not just a once-and-done act, but a rhythm of returning to God.

And Basil too draws the line clearly: “The fool… lacks the qualities characteristic of man… the light which comes from the Holy Spirit.” Thus, the fool is not merely unintelligent; he is unspiritual. He is closed off from the Spirit who gives life.

Yet, there is hope—even for the fool.

Jerome’s treatment of the Psalm ends not in despair but in a vision of holiness. He writes, “Let us be the just man compared to the tree of life… let us bless God to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” He urges the catechumens—soon to be baptized—to flee from foolishness and to cling to the tree of life, Christ Himself.

The Psalm ends with a cry for deliverance: “Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion!” And this is more than poetic longing—it is prophetic fulfillment. That salvation has come. It came out of Zion. It came from the line of David. It came in the person of Jesus Christ, crucified and risen.

And what does it say next? “When the Lord restores His captive people, Jacob will rejoice, Israel will be glad.” This is our hope. Not just that we will escape the judgment of fools, but that we will join the chorus of the redeemed. That we, who once said “There is no God” in our hearts, will now say, “Jesus is Lord.”

Psalm 14 begins in darkness: with a denial of God, corruption, and a universal indictment of human sin. “There is none who does good, not even one,” David writes—words later echoed by the Apostle Paul in Romans 3 to describe the total depravity of mankind. And yet, Psalm 14 does not end there. It ends in rejoicing. It ends in Zion. It ends with the hope of restoration.

And Romans 3 from our reading today is the most obvious, that not only is no one good on their own, but none understand, none seek God, and have turned aside. It makes it difficult to accept that we only have an inclination towards evil rather than a natural disease passed down from the man with first sin. Yet, even here, with all its negative language, it precedes Paul’s discussion of justification by faith, that God would restore His captive people, like David the Psalmist proclaims. So there’s a movement then from our warnings of folly and wickedness to our covenant in understanding and wisdom.

That is the movement of the gospel. From folly to wisdom. From corruption to cleansing. From despair to deliverance. From no good to good.

And so we must ask: where do we stand in this Psalm? Are we those who reject God in the heart, while maintaining a religious appearance? Are we among the afflicted, mocked for our trust in God? Or are we crying out for salvation, waiting for the day when God will restore His people?

Wherever we are, the Psalm is clear: the Lord sees. “The Lord has looked down from heaven upon the sons of mankind to see if there are any who understand, who seek God.” He still looks. And He still saves.

Let us end with the wise words of Saint Basil, who reminds us what true wisdom is: “He who with understanding is hastening toward bliss extols God… but he who is turning the opposite way… abases God as much as lies in his power.” To worship God is not only to exalt Him—it is to become what we were made to be. Anything less is folly.

So today, let us pray for hearts that believe, lips that praise, and lives that reflect the wisdom from above. Let us pray for the preservation of those that understand, and are righteous, and for those that have folly and are filled with wickedness.

Let us be numbered among the wise—those who seek God, those who trust His counsel, those who take refuge in Him. Let us be those who do not mock the afflicted, but stand with them. And when we are the afflicted, let us not be ashamed, for the Lord is our refuge.

And let us sing this Psalm—not just with our voices, but with our lives. May we live as a people who remember that salvation has come out of Zion, and that He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead.

Apostles’ Creed

And as we celebrate this message let us now confess our shared creed in the one true God in the statement of belief attributed to the Apostles of the church universal,

We believe in God, the Father almighty,       creator of heaven and earth.

We believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,       who was conceived by the Holy Spirit       and born of the virgin Mary.       He suffered under Pontius Pilate,       was crucified, died, and was buried;       he descended to hell.       The third day he rose again from the dead.       He ascended to heaven       and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty.       From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

We believe in the Holy Spirit,       the holy catholic church,       the communion of saints,       the forgiveness of sins,       the resurrection of the body,       and the life everlasting. Amen.

Prayer of Absolution

Now let us end in community by receiving absolution and leaving blessed,

Almighty and most merciful Father, we have erred and strayed from your ways like lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against your holy laws. We have left undone those things which we ought to have done, and we have done those things which we ought not to have done; and apart from your grace, there is no health in us. O Lord, have mercy upon us. Spare all those who confess their faults. Restore all those who are penitent, according to your promises declared to all people in Christ Jesus our Lord. And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake, that we may now live a godly, righteous, and sober life, to the glory of your holy Name.

In the name of the Father, who creates, and of the Son, who redeems, and of the Holy Spirit, who sanctifies and purifies us before You, Amen.

Benediction

Now as you walk out tonight, wherever that may be, count yourself blessed before the Lord,

The Lord bless you, and keep you;

The Lord make His face shine on you,

And be gracious to you;

The Lord lift up His countenance on you,

And give you peace.’ Num. 6:24-26