THE REST OF THE STORY

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In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, and their ways are vile; there is no one who does good.

God looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. Everyone has turned away, all have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.

Do all these evildoers know nothing?

They devour my people as though eating bread; they never call on God. But there they are, overwhelmed with dread, where there was nothing to dread. God scattered the bones of those who attacked you; you put them to shame, for God despised them.

Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When God restores his people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!

Psalm 53

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

In the 53 rd Psalm, an ominous message is sent to God’s people, one that all should pay close attention to even if they don’t want to hear it. Here it is:

God looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. Everyone has turned away, all have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.

Did you hear that?

Everyone has turned away from God.

Everyone has become corrupt.

There is no one who is good.

Not exactly the main tenets of the eternal optimist’s club.

Let’s look at each of these individually.

1. Everyone has turned away from God.

If you doubt this, ask yourself if you have perfectly surrendered every desire of yours for the desires of God in your life. No one has perfectly done this.

When we turn to our own desires, we turn from God’s and thus turn from Him.

2. Everyone has become corrupt.

To not be corrupt is to be perfectly honest about everything. Again, I have yet to meet anyone that was perfectly honest. We all have our times of corruption as did every major Biblical character with the exception of Jesus.

God demands that we be honest and true. We all fail miserably at this.

3. There is no one who is good.

This might be the hardest one for some people to swallow. I wish I had a hundred dollars for every time I have had a person assert that they were good. Usually, it is said in a way that is supposed to defer from something bad they have done. In a way, they validate the scriptures for being partially good means a person is also partially bad. God expects us to live in perfect righteousness which no human being can do. Thus the reason that Jesus said this in His exchange with a ruler:

A certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good — except God alone.” 

Luke 18:18-19

God’s word is truth. Jesus said it and validated the words of the psalm:

No one is good – except God alone.

And so where does that leave us? It doesn’t exactly paint a pretty picture for mankind, that’s for sure, and if there wasn’t more to the story, life would be very depressing and hopeless.

It’s a good thing there is more to the story.

For God, knowing how fallen we were because of our sinful nature, was not willing to allow His creation to perish and so He created a way for anyone to be saved from their disobedient, corrupt, and wicked lifestyles. He loved us that much.

And so Jesus, God’s only Son entered the picture, first to show us how to live the right way and then to pay the price for us on the cross of Calvary, a living sin sacrifice that brought full atonement. Jesus shed His blood at the cross bearing the burdens that should have been on all of us and then conquered death and the tomb ascending to be with the Father and making the way for us to follow one day. In order to do so, all we need do is place our full faith and trust in Jesus as our Savior.

Friends, without Jesus, we are destined to destruction because none of us are good enough to stand before God on our own. We need a Savior, an intercessor who beings us the pardon we need to find eternal life. And Christ is that Savior, the only way to the Father (John 14:6).

Where are you today? Are you in the first part of this story that paints a picture of certain demise and despair? Or have you received and accepted the rest of the story, the story that has the best last chapter and ending possible, an ending that has us living forever free of pain and affliction and sin with God and Jesus forever?

My hope is that if you haven’t read into the rest of the story that you will do so today.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

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