“All have turned away, all have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.” Psalm 14:3
As soon as we are old enough to walk, we begin the sorting game. In grade school we sort out team members in hopes to get the tallest, fastest player. In high school we sort out the coolest, best-looking friends, in hopes that they will elevate our status to some unknown stratosphere. In college we sort people using the parameters we have now defined for ourselves. We choose partiers, intellectuals, hard-workers, or even slackers. And those we sort out we choose to spend our lives with. As adults, we sort ourselves and our friends using the almighty dollar. We live in the neighborhoods and zip codes we choose; we send our kids to the schools we prefer, and we even go to the religion that we think will best sort the people that sit in the pew next to us. But even deeper than the human sorting process, you have to wonder about how God sees and sorts humans and their behavior. But folks, in one of the easiest sorting processes ever, God simply moves everyone over to one team. A team that is simply described by God as...all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.
In Psalm 14 David moves through a graduated sorting process to finally arrive at the upper echelon of God’s sorting process. David laments of the foolish in his world that boast that there is no God. David looks at the people that turn aside from God, oppose God, and even have unknowingly started their own atheist church, preaching and teaching others that there is no God. But David doesn’t merely take the stance of many people today and rail on all those that disagree with him, he broadens his sorting process to include all men, including himself. And it is there that we see the wisdom and truth of God seep through the pores of David’s logic. You see, David doesn’t exclude himself from the sorting process. As he explores and accepts God’s sorting process, he has no choice but to embrace the obvious. He is a sinner, his kids are sinners, his neighbor is a sinner, the men and women of his hometown of Bethlehem are sinners, and yes, even his own dear mother is a sinner. In all of David’s wise Holy Spirit inspired Psalms, this is one of the truest, foundational theological statements he declares. All have sinned and fallen short of God's perfection. And folks, all means all.
One of the wisest conclusions you can make today is what you see when you look in the mirror. Do you sort yourself as a wise, attractive, morally good individual? Do you work hard, do the right thing most of the time and even help others when it’s possible? Do you go to church, pray when you need to, and admit that God is God? Hey, all great things, but it doesn’t change the fact that you are included in God’s simple sorting process. We are all sinners in need of a Savior. And God sent just that Savior. God sent His only Son here, born of a virgin so that He could be the only earth-dweller to ever live without sin. And because of that, only He was worthy to hang upon a Cross and be the perfect, blemish-free sacrifice for the sins of all mankind. Today, you’re a sinner, but you don’t have to be a condemned sinner. By accepting the Salvation of Jesus Christ, you can be a redeemed sinner. A sinner that has called upon the name of Jesus to cover the sin that God would otherwise be forced to judge. And as a result, the Holy Spirit will come upon you and guide you through this world. A world that tells you that sin is ok and simply part of life to be accepted and embraced. Today, don’t sort others and don’t sort yourself using human means, but instead see yourself and all around you as God sees us, all are sinners in need of Jesus. And as a result, make your mission today to tell the world about the redeeming, saving power of Christ. For those saved by the blood of Jesus will be sorted after death into the very presence of God in Heaven, a day that I am woefully looking forward to.
“But Scripture has shown that all mankind are the prisoners of sin, in order that the promised blessing, which depends on faith in Jesus Christ, may be given to those who believe.” Galatians 3:22
Comments