What is God’s opinion of atheists? You need only to look at Psalm 14:1-7 to discover the answer. It is so clear even an atheist can understand it. “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’” (v. 1)

Why does God make such a simple, matter-of-fact statement on atheism, and not address it again? Because the foolishness of it is so self-evident that no other comment is necessary. But why does God call the atheist a fool? In the verses of Psalm 14, God give three simple reasons through the words of King David. First, the atheist lives like a fool. See verses 2-3—“The LORD looks down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any who understand, who seek God.” (v. 2) What He finds is sad: “There is none who does good, no, not one.” (v. 3) Leave God out of life and the result is crime and sin. Without God, right and wrong are determined by what people think; ultimately our personal pleasures and desires prevail. Such living is foolish. Second, the atheist thinks like a fool. See verse 4 … they have no knowledge and don’t ask God for information. The atheist has no answer for the vast mystery of the universe and the existence of man. To him, these things just happened. Faith says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1) The fool says, “We created ourselves.” Third, the atheist dies like a fool. See verse 5—“There they are in great fear.” The atheist trembles with fear in the face of death. He is afraid to die because he has no assurance of what lies beyond the grave and no God to give him comfort and hope. God is there and he knows it, but he will not admit it. To do this is to play the fool. Don’t live, think, or die like a fool!

Sin cera, Erik

Erik O. Garthe is Associate Pastor at Canton Baptist Church in Baltimore, Maryland.

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