In a thought-provoking article which appeared in Readers Digest a number of years ago, David Raphael Klein noted that the world has been looking for a substitute for God for a long time. He wrote: “Somewhere along the way, Western man began to lose his belief in God as a personal force, as the decider of his fate, as the ultimate judge of his actions. The idea that God created man became old-fashioned; we evolved. The notion of hell was picturesque, but no longer compelling. Life began to be seen as more or less accidental; sin became a relative sociological matter, and to many a pure fiction.”
People today are trying all sorts of ineffectual and destructive substitutes for God: Astrology, philosophy, paganism, alcohol, drugs, science, money, pleasure, etc., etc. But whenever people turn away from God, life turns to chaos. Families disintegrate, the social order collapses, and people make a mess of their lives! There is no substitute for God!
- Without God there is no basis for decency and morality. If god is not there, all things are permitted! If Hitler decides to murder 6 million Jews, or terrorists blow up a plane full of women and children, how can we say they are wrong, if God has not spoken? If we no longer believe God created man, then we are force dot say there is nothing sacred about human life. If life is not sacred, then there is no logical argument against murder, rape, assault, or any other crime!
- Without God there is no meaning in life or reason for existence. Many becomes, as one eminent evolutionist expressed it, merely a biological accident created by nature, without purpose, to be obliterated without regret.
- Without God we are without hope and are of all men most miserable. David Klein noted. “In freeing himself of the terror of hell, (modern man) gave up the hope of heaven; you live, you die, that’s the end of it…” God is the God of all hope (Romans 15:13). Without Him there is no hope in the world (Ephesians 5:12). Belief in God is the only thing that can keep us from despairing about our world and our lives. Nothing else can take the place of God. Nobody else can fill His shoes. For life to have meaning, God must be at the center (Matthew 6:33). There is no substitute for God!
Bobby Dockery
–via Voice of Truth International
