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Psalm 53

Summary of Doctrinal Application From the New Testament

Universal Depravity and the Folly of Practical Atheism (Verses 1-3)

Psalm 53 opens with the portrait of the fool who denies God in heart and practice, producing widespread corruption and lawlessness. The New
Testament establishes this not merely as an isolated wickedness, but as
the universal condition of fallen humanity. In Romans 1:21, 28, the
rejection of God leads inevitably to futile thinking, darkened hearts,
and a debased mind filled with all unrighteousness. Ephesians 5:12 and 1
Peter 4:3 describe this natural state of the Gentiles, marked by
shameful deeds done in darkness and excess of riot.

The divine assessmentrCothat God looked down from heaven to see if any
sought Him, and found that none do goodrCois cited verbatim by the Apostle Paul in Romans 3:10-12 to demonstrate that both Jews and Gentiles are
all under sin: "There is none righteous, no, not one: there is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone
out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none
that doeth good, no, not one." John 3:19 confirms this indictment:
"Light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil."

In contrast to the spiritual filth of verse 3, the New Testament demands complete separation from this corruption. In 2 Corinthians 7:1,
believers are exhorted to cleanse themselves from all filthiness of the
flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. First John
2:29 and 3 John 11 provide the practical contrast: he that doeth good is
of God, while he that doeth evil hath not seen God. Finally, Revelation 22:11-12 seals this eternal distinction at the coming of Christ: "He
that is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let
him be righteous still."

The Persecution of God's People and Impending Judgment (Verses 4-5)

The ungodly oppressors consume the people of God as they eat bread and
call not upon the Lord. Christ denounces the blind religious leaders in Matthew 23:17 with the same assessment of folly: "Ye fools and blind."
In Revelation 17:16, the devouring nature of the wicked culminates in
the judgment of the great harlot, where earthly powers turn to eat her
flesh and burn her with fire. The ungodly who persecute the righteous
operate under false security, yet they are destined to experience the
terrors of divine judgment.

The Deliverer Out of Zion and the Consummation of Israel's Salvation
(Verse 6)

The earnest longing of the psalmist, "Oh that the salvation of Israel
were come out of Zion!" points directly to the ultimate redemption accomplished in Jesus Christ. Hebrews 9:28 connects this expectation to
the final appearance of Christ, who was once offered to bear the sins of
many and shall appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

In Romans 11:26, Paul directly applies the fulfillment of this cry to
the covenant mercy of God: "There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer,
and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob." The turning of the
captivity and the resulting joy of Jacob and Israel find their
fulfillment when the fullness of redemption is accomplished through
Christ, issuing in the everlasting praise of the redeemed.
--
Good News rCa

By dying on the cross, Christ canceled the legal debt of our sins
against God (Colossians 2:14), and God validated this victory by raising
Him from the grave (Romans 1:4). God is now able to justly declare
sinners righteous (Romans 3:26) and spare them from His future wrath (1 Thessalonians 1:10). This grace is freely given to all who place their
trust in Him (Romans 6:23). Put your faith in the Lord and call on His
name to be saved (Romans 10:9-13):

How to be saved: christrose.news/salvation
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