If you met this bad guy on the street, he'd probably smile at you. If you were behind him in Starbucks, he might have bought your coffee. He's never been convicted of a crime, because - based on the law - he's not really bad at all. In fact, he's remarkably nice.
Psalm 36 tells the tale of this nice villain. Verses 1-3 are as follows:
"Transgression speaks to the wicked deep in his heart; there is no fear of God before his eyes. For he flatters himself in his own eyes that his iniquity cannot be found out and hated. The words of his mouth are trouble and deceit; he has ceased to act wisely and do good ... he does not reject evil."
This person turns away from God and trusts in himself. He is convinced of his own goodness. He has silenced his conscience, so that he can't even see all the sin wading in him like swamp water - or if he does, he's sure that no one else will be able to see it. He thinks he's a good person (and is perceived as one too).
He also doesn't reject evil. This statement implies some passivity about it. Rejecting evil is hard, but actively pursuing good is harder. The fact that sin is unimportant characterizes this man.
He remains unnamed in Psalm 36, and I think that's for good reason. This is probably not one specific person in David's time that lingers on his mind as he wrote this. This is the profile of a wicked man. And he lives on today. The North American religious climate seems plagued with this idea that sin is no longer vile, despicable, and worthy of rejection. They are convinced that they are good people. Psalm 36's bad guy walks the sidewalks of our cities, lives on our streets, teaches in our schools, hangs out in our coffee shops, judges from our courts, works in our offices, and even sits in our pews.
In the middle of Psalm 36, after the profile of this nice bad guy, David shifts his trajectory. Instead of continuing on in this explanation of the man, he begins praising the faithfulness of God. Where that sinner failed, God succeeded.
"Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; your judgments are like the great deep; man and beast you save, O Lord. How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings."
Man is sinful. God is not. Man is lost. God is the glorious One who finds. That is the good news of the gospel. Psalm 36 sings this good news. And as David seemed to think that the gospel met even the nicest bad guy's needs, we too can be assured that it is hope for the hopeless, peace for the restless, and healing for the broken-hearted. So what are we waiting for? The nicest bad guys surround us. Who are we sharing this good news with?