Psalms 14:1-3
1 The stupid one says in his heart, “There’s no God.” They are corrupt; they do disgusting things. There is no one who does good. 2 Yahveh looks down from the sky on humanity to see if there is anyone who is wise, anyone who seeks God. 3 Everyone has turned away; all alike have become corrupt. There is no one who does good, not even one.
Paul used this passage to show that no one perfectly follows God’s law, so all are in need of grace. The psalmist was referring to Israel’s enemies. But notice that he said that they have all turned away. That implies a previous awareness of God’s existence, no matter what they might claim. So, Paul was not talking the psalm out of context. It applies to all of us, no matter what our confession. The ground is level at the foot of the cross.
