grace – Berean Baptist Church

WHO IS THE MORMON GOD?

Berean Baptist on February 16, 2020

This week I continue to be impressed with the salutation of Christ’s letter to the Laodicean church. I have discussed with you the likely issue of Laodicea’s faulty belief concerning the deity of Christ. The Colossian letter gave us a clue as Paul said the letter needed to be read at Laodicea. This may have been necessary because Laodicea experienced the same doctrinal problems as Colossae.

I am prompted to think more on this issue and how the deity of Christ has been challenged throughout church history. In this article, I want to write a little about Mormonism and their teachings about God. Their official name is “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints” which suggests they are a branch of Christianity. Nothing could be further from the truth.

The early controversies in church history about the nature of God scarcely encompassed the extreme heresies of Mormonism. Since I don’t have space to go in-depth concerning their many heretical beliefs, I need only mention one which is more than fair warning that Mormonism is pure paganism.

The central question is this: Who is the God of Mormonism? As a Christian, you understand God is transcendent over His creation. God is of vastly contrasting character to humans. He is spirit and He is light. He is unapproachable light which speaks of the ineffability of His being. However, when you and I say God and when a Mormon says God, we are not in the same universe of meaning. Mormons believe God is as we are. They believe God is of the same species as us. He is a man that has reached a higher stage of development than we are. He is still a man but has attained a higher level.

Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism, said: “God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heaven…I am going to tell you how God came to be God. We have imagined and supposed that God was God from all eternity. I will refute that idea, and take away the veil, so that you may see…that he was once a man like us; yea, that God himself, the Father of us all, dwelt on an earth, the same as Jesus Christ Himself did…”

This fantastical idea of God is only deeply worsened as Joseph Smith dilates. Mormons teach that the current iteration of God is one of a succession of other men who have attained the position. Further, it is possible that some Mormon today could likewise hold the position in the future and become for a time the most exalted man. If you ask a Mormon, “Who is the number one God?” he will not answer because he doesn’t know nor dares to ask.

Without delving further into this deep darkness of deceit, is this not enough to demonstrate that Mormonism has nothing to do with Christianity? Be careful when you speak to a Mormon because they use the same language as you—grace, faith, sin, redemption—and God. The meaning of the terms is nothing like yours.

First and foremost, remember when they say God, they are worlds apart from who we understand God to be. Salvation is impossible for them if they persist in their fantasy of unbelief. Are they good family people? Not really. They are horrible because they are taking their children to hell.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

A BAROMETER OF DEPRAVITY

Berean Baptist on November 25, 2019

Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man. (Colossians 4:6)

Last year, we began our Wednesday evening Bible study in the book of Romans. The method of our study was a change for us, since we have followed the traditional Wednesday night prayer meeting/sermon/teaching format for as long as I can remember. I call it tradition, but I do not mean an apostolic tradition since Wednesday night services did not become popular until the 19^th century.

Some confuse traditionalism with biblical practice insisting the way we do things must be the way Paul did in every little outpost of Christianity in the most obscure places. We will dispense with that thought quickly as being fantasy. If we introduce another way of study, it is not necessarily anti-scriptural. The Wednesday evening format has more latitude than the formal worship of the Lord’s Day. We believe it is scriptural for the word of God to be proclaimed by the pastor on Sunday. The pulpit is the place of authority to hear as God speaks through the written word. It is not a place of dialogue and debate, as we may discuss the word on Wednesdays.

This little introduction is not my main point today. Rather, in preparation for our Wednesday night study in Romans, I read from Robert Haldane who made the point there are polarizing interpretations of Romans, especially in the areas of justification and the sovereignty of God in salvation. There are only two ways a person can be justified. He is either justified by faith in Christ alone, or he is justified by obedience to the law. The first is biblical—the second is impossible. Every person holds one opinion or the other, and regardless of the impossibility of the second opinion, it is the most common.

Paul argues the depravity of man in the first part of Romans. He recognizes the objections, especially of Jews who refused to be put on equal footing with Gentiles in their favoritism with God. Both are depraved and all have come short of the glory of God. Haldane reasoned that if man is depraved, we can expect depraved interpretations of the Bible. This conclusion is inevitable. Therefore, the theological wrangling is set to dispute between the two ways of justification. Even a faith/works combo is only a variation of the second method.

Human depravity was a hot button item for Paul. I’ve already mentioned the Jewish objections. Though plenty deny total depravity, the evidence of it is abundant everywhere. The comment by Haldane and the proof offered by Paul in Romans 1 caused me to think about the daily bombardment of profanity heard in common conversation.

Many people look at the use of language as a development of culture. The culture determines whether the language is good or bad. It is as if there is no objective standard that determines it. With our modern insistence on individualism and self-expression, we determine whether our language is right or wrong. The Bible disputes this. Culture is not a fluid determiner of right and wrong. The standard of righteousness is always one and the same. The Bible tell us the standard of speech in Colossians 4. There is grace speech that is defined by biblical morality.

Jesus said our heart governs the way we speak. Bad speech is an indication of a wicked heart. When you hear neighbors over the fence shouting profanities, or listen to young people in their normal conversations, or watch TV, or listen to popular music on radio—when you hear language laced with profanity, it is evidence of a depraved society. It is society losing its restraint and plunging into the outcome of Romans 1.

My simple point is this. Language is a barometer of our descent into final wickedness. There are certainly many other signs, but this one is noticeable without opening your eyes to see. There is no need to look for it. The sound of it reverberates throughout modern society. The filthy mouth is as Jesus said—the indication of a depraved heart. What hope is there for the world when Christians accept the world’s use of language? We are saved from their immoral speech, so that ours may be always seasoned with grace.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

THE TESTIMONY OF TRUTH IN THE PULPIT

Berean Baptist on September 9, 2019

But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. (2 Peter 2:1-2)

The second chapter of 2^nd Peter begins with a solemn warning for Christians in every generation. In the first century, the seeds of heresy were already beginning to grow as Satan was busily trying to tear down the work of the gospel and blind people’s eyes to the truth. The apostle Paul speaks of Judaizers in Galatians chapter 1 that taught a false gospel that opposed the teaching of pure grace, and faith alone as the instrumental cause of justification. The apostle John spoke of antichrists that denied the incarnation and the full deity of Jesus Christ. Jude warns about deceivers that sneak into the church bringing heresies that deny the faith that was given through the teachings of Jesus and the apostles. This is a very common theme in the New Testament and one that we should be keenly aware of.

We may be tempted to think that false teachers will boldly announce themselves and it will be very apparent they are not teachers of truth. We might think we can easily identify them and thus protect the church from their harm. The language of scripture gives a very much different picture. False teachers are subtle. Peter says they “privily shall bring in damnable heresies.” This means they come secretly and in disguise. Jude says they creep in unawares. The truth is they may be hard to detect. They tell just enough truth mixed with their lies to be believable and if a Christian is not fully armed against them by having a firm foundation to his faith, he can be led down a path to destruction.

While it is true no born again believer can be destroyed in hell, it is just as true that Satan can ruin a Christian’s influence by undermining his ability to clearly articulate the doctrines of the faith. For this reason, we must be diligent students of God’s word. We must not only be able to state the doctrines of the faith, we must know why they are true. I am afraid this is where most Christians fail. They know enough and believe enough to be saved, but their personal growth is severely stunted because they attend churches that are unconcerned about teaching doctrine, and may not even have the correct doctrine anyway. Also, in the Christian’s personal life, there is very little to no study of the word.

This is the issue for the believer in the pew. How much more is a false teacher a destroyer of souls when he is dealing directly with unbelievers? A false gospel will never save anyone and will ultimately lead the person to the fires of hell. There are many people headed there that are very religious and believe their souls are safe. They are deceived and have stopped looking for truth because they believe they already have it.

With the advent of Christ, the first century began the widespread revelation of the gospel of grace. It was also the beginning of an earnest effort to stop the advancement of the gospel and thus the growth of the church. In the ensuing centuries, the opposition has only grown worse. Today there are hundreds of denominations preaching just about any doctrine you care to hear. We cannot afford to be lazy and complacent and permit false teachers to continue without opposition. If you hear me mention a name or oppose a doctrine of a certain church or pastor, please do not think I do so to try and destroy Christian unity. It is my responsibility to identify the false and to teach what is true. If it takes naming names, so be it. This is part of the hedge of protection you receive by being in a church that is very concerned about doctrinal matters. If you pay attention and attend faithfully, God will protect you from destructive heresies. Try every word that is said by your own diligent study. God expects no less and neither do we.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

The Agreement between Law and Grace

Berean Baptist on March 18, 2019

The Ten Commandments are a subset of scripture that permeates the whole. The Law is both Old and New Testament and is the basis for all our dealings with God. The preacher wrote in Ecclesiastes, “Let us hear the conclusion of the matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments” (Eccles. 12:13). This Old Testament verse seems to be at odds with what we think we know about the New Testament. We are living in the dispensation of grace and we are accustomed to singing songs like “Free from the law oh happy condition…” How does this agree with the statement that keeping commandments is the whole duty of man? The conflict can be resolved only by recognizing the different spheres of law and grace. They are not opposed to each other. They work seamlessly together to give us the full picture of how God brings us to salvation.

The song says we are free from the law, but this has nothing to do with our obligation to obey it. We are free from its condemnation. We are free from the consequences of its unrelenting justice as it insists that all transgressions against the holy God must be satisfied. This satisfaction is achieved for us by Christ’s perfect obedience which is transferred to us by faith. His goodness becomes ours, and thus we stand perfect before the judgment bar of the law. We are free from condemning justice but never free to disobey the law. As Paul said, “Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?” (Rom. 6:1). In our salvation more than ever, we recognize the whole duty of man is to keep God’s commandments. No one who truly loves God will sidestep any command and regard it as unimportant.

The gravity of the law is momentous as God gave Israel the most important document in history. It was accompanied by His personal presence. It was direct as chapter 20 in Exodus shows and intended to speak to each individual. Earthquakes and thunder and lightning on Mount Sinai showed the power of God and the reverence that must be observed for His holiness. It had not been written yet, but Israel knew “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Heb. 10:31).

We tend to believe that because of God’s grace law is relaxed and therefore we need not fear God any longer. It is okay to speak of God like a tired old grandfather whose sternness has played out over time. He is not at all serious when He tells us we must obey. This is a terrible mistake. Grace has not calmed God and taken the bite out of His rebukes. Grace heightens the responsibility of obedience. Without grace, we are ignorant of His ways. Though without excuse for disobedience at any time, surely with right understanding comes more serious responsibility.

This is not an abstract. The person saved by grace recognizes this truth. God put it into his heart in his regeneration. Lack of obedience reveals a lack of saving grace. The person who says, “Free from the law oh happy condition” and by this he means I am free from condemnation therefore I need not be concerned for the way I live—that person has never experienced the saving grace of God.

Make sure you evaluate your understanding of God’s law. Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15). This is equivalent to saying, “If you keep my commandments, you prove you have been touched by my grace.” He never meant this as an option—that any can be saved without it. Christ is not just a Saviour who keeps you from the condemnation of the law. He is also the Lord that requires absolute strict obedience. He will not be one without the other.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

The Agreement between Law and Grace

Berean Baptist on June 25, 2018

In studying the Ten Commandments, we are presented with a subset of scripture that permeates the whole. The Law is both Old and New Testament and is the basis for all our dealings with God. The preacher wrote in Ecclesiastes, “Let us hear the conclusion of the matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments” (Eccles. 12:13). This Old Testament verse seems to be at odds with what we think we know about the New Testament. We are living in the dispensation of grace and we are accustomed to singing songs like “Free from the law oh happy condition…” How does this agree with the statement that keeping commandments is the whole duty of man? The conflict can only be resolved by recognizing the different spheres of law and grace. They are not opposed to each other. They work seamlessly together to give us the full picture of how God brings us to salvation.

In today’s message, we see the gravity of the law. It was momentous as God was about to give Israel the most important document in history. It was accompanied by His personal presence. It was direct as chapter 20 in Exodus shows and intended to speak to each individual. Earthquakes and thunder and lightning on Mount Sinai showed the power of God and the reverence that must be observed for His holiness. It had not been written yet, but Israel knew “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Heb. 10:31).

We tend to believe that because of God’s grace law is relaxed and therefore we need not fear God any longer. It is okay to speak of God like a tired old grandfather whose sternness has played out over time. He is not really serious when He tells us we must obey. This is a terrible mistake. Grace has not calmed God and taken the bite out of His rebukes. Grace heightens the responsibility of obedience. Without grace, we are ignorant of His ways. Though without excuse for disobedience at any time, surely with right understanding comes more serious responsibility.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

God’s Works Remembered

Berean Baptist on November 6, 2017

He hath made his wonderful works to be remembered: the LORD is gracious and full of compassion.

(Psalms 111:4)

As I was thinking on the 111^th psalm, verse 4 reminded me of a negative application of the same thought in 2 Peter 1:9: But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. The psalmist said God has made His work to be remembered while Peter said the one who does not care to build on his faith by adding Christian graces will soon forget the mighty works that God has done in his life.

I think it is interesting how many times the Old Testament retells the story of Israel’s deliverance from Egypt. I have commented on this before from other psalms and scripture texts, and here we find it again in more subtle references in the 111^th psalm. It seems the crowning achievement of all God’s wonderful works for His people is how God humbled the defiant Egyptian Pharaoh and brought His people out with a mighty strong arm. He brought them through the perils of the wilderness and gave them the land promised to Abraham. This is reflected in verse 6: He hath shewed his people the power of his works, that he may give them the heritage of the heathen. The scriptures continue to remind of this fact so that Israel would never lose the assurance that God was on their side and would always fulfill His promises to them.

The same is true for the Christian today. Our deliverance in the moment of our salvation when God broke through the stronghold sin had on our hearts is a grand touchstone to return to time and time again. God brought us into the marvelous light of the gospel of Christ and became the author of our eternal salvation. Like Israel’s remembrance of deliverance from Egypt, this is our place of remembrance of God’s wonderful works.

There is, however, another similarity between the 111^th psalm and the quest for holiness in 2 Peter 1. Israel was taken into captivity because they forgot what God did for them. They were not careful to maintain their obedience which caused them to fall and to experience bitter chastisement. The Christian has the same propensity if he is not careful to maintain his focus on Christ. We will also fail and find ourselves back in the captivity of sin.

This is what Peter warns against in 2 Peter 1:9. The person who forgets that he was purged from his old sins will soon fall into those old sins again. We are doomed to repeat our past mistakes which is the exact problem with Israel. Old sins always yield the same results—it never changes. The loss of assurance is its fruit; when the fruit of the Christian life should be grace, peace, and the contentment of resting in God’s promises.

As I read the psalm and compared it to 2 Peter, I was also reminded how scripture says Old Testament stories were given to warn us not to fall in the same holes as Israel. We must guard ourselves and be diligent to add all spiritual graces. This is the sure method of never failing to remember God’s wonderful works. Look at the world around you and see the immensity of His power. And then, look into your heart once blackened by sin and see it cleansed by the gospel of Christ. Keep looking and you will never forget the joy of being purged from your old sins.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

Do You Hate Him?

Berean Baptist on December 5, 2016

They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of mine head: they that would destroy me, being mine enemies wrongfully, are mighty: then I restored that which I took not away. (Psalms 69:4)

When commentators comment or preachers preach on the death of the cross, they write and speak with an outsider’s view. We speak without personal experience because we have not been through the great pain and suffering the Saviour endured. In this psalm, the story is not told from a commentator’s view, but from the mind of the precious Saviour Himself. This is one of the fascinating pre-manifestations of Christ as He speaks personally through the pen of David. His story concerns the terrible anguish He must endure.

The psalm begins with the analogy of a flood. Calvary is the place where the torrent of God’s judgment was unleashed upon Christ. Like a flood that completely overwhelms, the Saviour was engulfed with both the sins of the world and God’s’ wrath against it. I can imagine these statements may well have been a part of Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane as He contemplated the death of the cross. Luke records His anguish was so great that His sweat was as it were great drops of blood. The mental anguish was so great that capillaries burst pouring blood into His sweat as it beaded and fell to the ground.

There is much to consider in this psalm, but today I am drawn to verse 4 and this phrase: “They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of mine head…” Jesus quoted this verse in John 15:25: “But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.” They hated Him without cause is probably the most perplexing statement ever spoken. For what good reason should we turn our backs on the one who offers forgiveness, who saves us from certain destruction, and who promises the unfathomable blessings of heaven? Why are we not rather lost in wonders of ceaseless praise? And yet, we are not—none of us would have saved Jesus from the cross because we also hated Him without cause.

In the Lord’s Supper, we picture what men did to Christ. The bread is broken to symbolize the beating of His body. The cup is poured to reflect the blood pouring from the wounds in His head, His back, His hands, and His feet. As we solemnly partake of the symbols, we no longer hate Him. We are reconciled to Him by the cross, and the one we hated becomes precious. The contrast of the before and after picture is demonstrated by Peter: Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. (1 Peter 2:7-8)

We are humbled by the marvelous grace of our loving Lord who has made us partakers of the divine nature. Our sins are the cause of His torturous death, and His love is the cause of His triumphant redemption. The agony of Psalm 69 leaves us no excuse for any longer hating Him. When we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Rom. 5:8).

Which side of the psalm are you on? Have you trusted Him? If not, you hate Him without a cause. If you are not with Him, you are against Him (Matt. 12:30). I sincerely hope you will trust Him today. The only way to find out why He is truly precious is to see Him from the safety of His mercy, love, and grace.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

Spiritual Growth

Berean Baptist on December 31, 2015

A couple of weeks ago I was looking over some old New Year’s sermons and I came across one I preached in 2003. At that time, I had been pastor for only a few weeks and I was trying to set a vision for what the church could do in the following months and years as we began to serve the Lord together in this new relationship.

To make a point in the sermon, I mentioned all of the babies and toddlers in the congregation, and they were numerous. Do you know who they were? Among them were Benjamin and Samuel Petro, Tate Jarrell, and Alexander Brown. My point was about growth. We expect that little children will grow and if they don’t, we would anxiously take them to the doctor to find out what is wrong. Today, you can see there was no need for concern about these children as we have watched them grow and we are blessed to see them taking part in one of our most cherished ministries which is the Children’s Choir.

The comparison to be made was to measure spiritual growth in the same way. Now that thirteen years have passed since 2003, what is the state of our spiritual growth? Although the church has seen many come and go over the years, some of you were here for that first New Year’s sermon. I wonder have you grown in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ? Even if you were not here, how would you assess your growth rate since you became a Christian?

If we want to add a little anthropomorphism to the discussion (you did learn that word, didn’t you?), we would say the Lord must have some concern for His children that have never grown. What is the reason for their stunted spiritual growth? With the physical person, it could be the quality of the food provided. There are many children across the world that do not have the nourishing food they need. The food may be scarce or of poor quality. Is this the case with the spiritual child?

Interestingly enough, Paul said the scriptures are sufficient to furnish us unto all good works. Peter said the word nourishes spiritually new born babes so they may grow thereby. Is the problem lack of spiritual food? I hardly think so. Bibles are readily available—if you don’t have one, we are happy to give you one. The problem must be getting to the table to eat the food because there is no shortage of quantity. So perhaps we have found a key to stunted spiritual growth. The table is prepared; there is a feast in the word of God; but God’s people do not care to partake.

Another issue may be poor quality preaching. This one falls on me. Have I lacked in the preparation, and am I not providing the food in a way to make it desirable and digestible? Actually, this accusation has been made. However, those that make it do nothing to find better food. They make no personal application to make it better. I think it must be more of a problem with the appetite. Some just prefer candy and sweets rather than meat and potatoes.

It is much easier to blame lack of spiritual growth on others than it is to own the problem ourselves. Some have legitimate complaints because they did not have solid preaching in churches they attended. They are late bloomers because it took time to find the right table. Hopefully, Berean is the right table. With some personal ownership of the growth process, you can become spiritually healthy. So, we encourage you to dig in in 2016 and feast on the word of God. We promise to give you more of what you need, not necessarily more of what you want.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

Grace to Help in Time of Need

Berean Baptist on April 21, 2015

As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness. (Psalms 17:15)

Most of us are very well acquainted with King David who is one of the Bible’s most prominent characters. Throughout the Old Testament, there are multiple prophecies that speak of a coming kingdom in which the great Messiah will sit on the throne of David to rule in perfect righteousness. The New Testament reveals Jesus as this great king who came from the household and lineage of David. We are well familiar with these prophecies as we have spoken of them often while studying the Gospel of Matthew.

Perhaps we may be somewhat perplexed by David because we also know of David’s great struggles with sin. In many sermons I mention the terrible sin that David committed with Bathsheba and then the subsequent cover-up in which David had her husband Uriah murdered. How is it possible these terrible sins could mesh with the promise that God would establish David’s throne forever? The answer lies in God’s grace. God graciously forgives the repentant sinner. No matter what you have done, if you humbly kneel before God and confess your sins and repent of them, God will forgive you.

In Psalm 17, we do not see David’s sins. Instead, we see David maintaining his integrity before God, insisting he loved the Lord and depended upon Him for protection. Even though David knew he was often guilty of sin, this was a time when he was aware of forgiveness and could claim the comfort of renewed fellowship. Psalm 17 is just a remarkable piece of poetry that shows David’s complete confidence in God and his hope that when this life is over he would meet the Lord face to face.

There are several verses in this Psalm that are particularly impressive. Among these are verses 3, 8, and 15. David said in verse 3: “Thou hast proved mine heart; thou hast visited me in the night; thou hast tried me, and shalt find nothing; I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.” This was a time that David was determined that sin should not reign in him. He invited the Lord to examine him and search for any fault that could be found. He was confident there was no sin that could be discovered. This makes me wonder how many of us would do the same. Many of us have open sins and many more have secret sins. Could we make the same claim as David with confidence and be sure the Lord would find nothing but righteousness?

In verse 8, he said: “Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings.” This shows David knew his relationship with the Lord. God’s love for him surpassed all human love. Describing it required the sweetest prose that could be written.

Verse 15 says: “As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.” How often this theme is repeated in scripture. The hope of the Christian is that one day we shall see God. From Job, one of the most ancient of Bible characters who said, “And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God” to John the last living apostle who wrote, “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is,” this has been the hope of all believers that fully trust in Jehovah God. Notice the correlation of David’s words with John’s. David: “I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness.” John: “We shall be like him; for we shall see him as is.”

I encourage you to read the 17^th Psalm carefully with serious contemplation. When you are faced with trying circumstances, pray that you will see God as David saw Him. Whenever your heart is right as David’s was, you can come boldly to the throne of grace and find grace to help in time of need (Heb. 4:16).

Pastor V. Mark Smith

Practical Atheism

Berean Baptist on April 6, 2015

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. (Psalms 14:1)

In commenting on this text, Matthew Henry wrote: “There is something of practical atheism at the bottom of all sin.” The first verse of Psalm 14 is the creed of the fool. He says, “There is no God.” As Christians, we read this thinking there is nothing more disgusting than the atheist that boldly and defiantly shakes his finger in the face of God and says, “You do not exist.” J. Vernon McGee stated that atheism is the worst of man’s depravity. In other words, a person can sink no lower in sin than to become an atheist. No wonder we are disgusted when confronted with the pseudo intelligence of our public school teachers and the professors in our colleges and universities that foist their depraved philosophies on our children. They deny the existence of God and give blanket approval to the worst social degradation our country has ever experienced.

Yet, while we are so angry at the blatant atheist, we must remember what Matthew Henry said: “There is something of practical atheism at the bottom of all sin.” These are sobering words to the Christian that harbors sin in his life and refuses to be yielded to the power of the Holy Spirit. Each time we sin, we become the practical atheist that refuses to obey God. If we truly do believe He is supreme and worthy of worship and is due all honor—if we truly believe He is offended by our unrighteousness—would we dare continue in our sins? If we really believe there are consequences to sin, would we shake our fingers in God’s face and say, “We will defy you?” Whoever stood in the physical presence of Jesus Christ truly believing He was God and then turned his back and walked away? Yet this is what we do when we let sin rule us and take no thought to confess our crimes. Practically, we do not believe in God.

I remember years ago my father preached on this text. He would always say when reading Psalm 14:1, “The fool also says, ‘No! God.” The fool defies God. He says no to His face which is what we do when we continue to live in the vileness of the flesh. It is far more understandable for the atheist to say there is no God than for the Christian that has tasted His divine grace to say no to Him.

We understand why God says the wicked will be cast into hell, and we certainly understand that atheists are deserving of the wrath of God. What we fail to understand is that Christians having been shown God’s favor and yet still continuing in sin are more deserving of hell than the spiritually blinded. As I see it, the grace of God is multiplied ten thousand times over in our preservation to eternal life than in the initial granting of repentance and faith. Paul said, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?” (Rom. 6:1). Apparently we think so. No wonder scripture says God’s people are kept by His power. Without His mercy and grace salvation would be lost in a heartbeat.

Thank God for persevering and preserving grace. All of us have a touch of atheism in us, so don’t be so unsympathetic to the souls of avowed atheists. We are being saved daily from our own practical atheism.

Pastor V. Mark Smith