Compare Psalm 14:2 with Romans 3:11 about seeking God. What similarities exist? Looking at the Verses • Psalm 14:2 (BSB, excerpt): “ … if any seek God.” • Romans 3:11 (BSB, excerpt): “no one who seeks God.” Shared Truths • God Himself takes the initiative to “look down” and evaluate human hearts. • Both verses report a negative result: left to themselves, people do not seek Him. • The assessment is universal—applied to “all mankind” in Psalm 14 and to “no one” in Romans 3. • Moral and intellectual ability (“understand”) is tied to spiritual desire (“seek”); when one is absent, so is the other. Why Paul Cites the Psalm • Romans 3 gathers Old Testament testimony to prove every person is “under sin” (Romans 3:9). • Quoting Psalm 14:2, Paul confirms that this has always been God’s verdict, not a new idea. • The continuity shows Scripture’s unity: Old and New Testaments speak with one voice about human need. Theological Takeaways • Total inability: apart from divine grace, no sinner initiates a search for God (John 6:44). • Divine initiative: God’s searching gaze in Psalm 14:2 anticipates His sending of Christ to “seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). • Universal need for the gospel: because no one naturally seeks, proclamation and regeneration are essential (Romans 10:14-17; Titus 3:5). Living This Out • Depend on God’s Spirit to awaken genuine seeking (John 16:8). • Praise Him for first pursuing us (1 John 4:19). • Share the gospel confidently, knowing it is God’s ordained means to create seekers (Acts 16:14). |
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