"The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. " —Psalm 14:1
It is our inclination, I think, to categorize as sinners those who are manifestly immoral, vulgar and violent. Our text for today greatly raises the level and broadens the field. It is reinforced in the next verse, "There is none that doeth good, no, not one."
"There is no God," is as often in the heart, if not on the lips , of those in the "halls of learning" as in the manifest dens of iniquity. Noteworthy as an example is the prevailing philosophy of the scientific community that discounts the God of Creation in favor of the god "evolution," or blind, undirected chance. While this was surely not in the mind of the Psalmist when he wrote these words, it was undoubtedly comprehended in the mind of the God who inspired them.
Greater, certainly, than the sin of disregarding God, is that of denying His existence. Those who do so are here denominated as "fools" and designated as "corrupt." Their works, however impressive, are "abominable" in the sight of God, and He assigns the problem a universal scope: "There is none that doeth good."
The folly of denying the existence of God is evident to anyone who will think transparently. The "problem of God," if we may so speak, does not go away by transferring the 'origin of the species' to a mindless process implicit in a material universe. The fool who parries theology with the question, "Where did God come from?" is left with precisely the same question for his philosophy: where did primordial matter come from? If the speculative "big bang" is offered in reply, the question remains; what (or who?) initiated it? An unbelieving spokesman for the scientific community noted some years ago that sooner or later we are left with no more data to work with, and are obliged to make a "leap of faith." Reason simply will not — ever — provide us with the answer to the question of origin. It will either be afforded by revelation, or not at all.
The preference for "no God" is not hard to fathom. Given what we know about nature from observation, including the use of the microscope and the telescope, and to explain it in terms of "God," is to posit one awesome being, in comparison to Whom man pales into incredible insignificance. That is an affront to the pride of the human heart. If the "God who is there" is perceived as personal, and as involved with His creation, then the element of accountability enters, and that idea is most unwelcome to those who insist on the right to "do their own thing" without answering to anyone.
If the philosophy of the fool were correct, we would have nothing to lose: We came from nowhere, are going nowhere, and nothing in between really matters. Neither mind nor morals have any real significance, for man is but the accidental consequence of a mindless process, the direction of which is random and altogether unpredictable. It is far more difficult for me to believe that than to believe that "God is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him [Heb. 11:6]."
The existence of God, of course, is not the ultimate issue. The issues that follow include questions as to what kind of a God He is and how we stand related to Him. Again we are shut up to just two options: reason or revelation. The Bible asks the question, "Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection [Job 11:7]?" The implied answer is "no." The awesome God of creation is discernible to human reason, for "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth His handiwork [Psalm 19:1]," and the New Testament testifies, "For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse [Rom. 1:20]." His fingerprints are all over His handiwork; but to know Him requires His self-disclosure. That, we believe, He has granted in His written word, the Bible, and the Living Word, our Lord Jesus Christ. Ignore the word, and remain a fool. Believe and obey it, and become wise!
For God's glory and our eternal good,
"Pastor" Frasier
It is our inclination, I think, to categorize as sinners those who are manifestly immoral, vulgar and violent. Our text for today greatly raises the level and broadens the field. It is reinforced in the next verse, "There is none that doeth good, no, not one."
"There is no God," is as often in the heart, if not on the lips , of those in the "halls of learning" as in the manifest dens of iniquity. Noteworthy as an example is the prevailing philosophy of the scientific community that discounts the God of Creation in favor of the god "evolution," or blind, undirected chance. While this was surely not in the mind of the Psalmist when he wrote these words, it was undoubtedly comprehended in the mind of the God who inspired them.
Greater, certainly, than the sin of disregarding God, is that of denying His existence. Those who do so are here denominated as "fools" and designated as "corrupt." Their works, however impressive, are "abominable" in the sight of God, and He assigns the problem a universal scope: "There is none that doeth good."
The folly of denying the existence of God is evident to anyone who will think transparently. The "problem of God," if we may so speak, does not go away by transferring the 'origin of the species' to a mindless process implicit in a material universe. The fool who parries theology with the question, "Where did God come from?" is left with precisely the same question for his philosophy: where did primordial matter come from? If the speculative "big bang" is offered in reply, the question remains; what (or who?) initiated it? An unbelieving spokesman for the scientific community noted some years ago that sooner or later we are left with no more data to work with, and are obliged to make a "leap of faith." Reason simply will not — ever — provide us with the answer to the question of origin. It will either be afforded by revelation, or not at all.
The preference for "no God" is not hard to fathom. Given what we know about nature from observation, including the use of the microscope and the telescope, and to explain it in terms of "God," is to posit one awesome being, in comparison to Whom man pales into incredible insignificance. That is an affront to the pride of the human heart. If the "God who is there" is perceived as personal, and as involved with His creation, then the element of accountability enters, and that idea is most unwelcome to those who insist on the right to "do their own thing" without answering to anyone.
If the philosophy of the fool were correct, we would have nothing to lose: We came from nowhere, are going nowhere, and nothing in between really matters. Neither mind nor morals have any real significance, for man is but the accidental consequence of a mindless process, the direction of which is random and altogether unpredictable. It is far more difficult for me to believe that than to believe that "God is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him [Heb. 11:6]."
The existence of God, of course, is not the ultimate issue. The issues that follow include questions as to what kind of a God He is and how we stand related to Him. Again we are shut up to just two options: reason or revelation. The Bible asks the question, "Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection [Job 11:7]?" The implied answer is "no." The awesome God of creation is discernible to human reason, for "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth His handiwork [Psalm 19:1]," and the New Testament testifies, "For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse [Rom. 1:20]." His fingerprints are all over His handiwork; but to know Him requires His self-disclosure. That, we believe, He has granted in His written word, the Bible, and the Living Word, our Lord Jesus Christ. Ignore the word, and remain a fool. Believe and obey it, and become wise!
For God's glory and our eternal good,
"Pastor" Frasier
No comments:
Post a Comment