March 17, 2017
THE GOD-DENYING MAN IS A FOOL IN NEED OF A U-TURN
Psalm 53
Knobel Hunt
Central Truth
Denying the existence of God doesn't erase God from the universe; it makes men fools.
Key Verse | Psalm 53:1
The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” (Psalm 53:1a)
Psalm 53
There Is None Who Does Good
To the choirmaster: according to Mahalath. A Maskil 1 53:1 Probably musical or liturgical terms of David.
1
The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”
They are corrupt, doing abominable iniquity;
there is none who does good.
2
God looks down from heaven
on the children of man
to see if there are any who understand,
2
53:2
Or who act wisely
who seek after God.
3
They have all fallen away;
together they have become corrupt;
there is none who does good,
not even one.
4
Have those who work evil no knowledge,
who eat up my people as they eat bread,
and do not call upon God?
5
There they are, in great terror,
where there is no terror!
For God scatters the bones of him who encamps against you;
you put them to shame, for God has rejected them.
6
Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!
When God restores the fortunes of his people,
let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad.
Dive Deeper | Psalm 53
My mom tells this story from when I was four: she was driving the wrong way on the highway, exited, and then U-turned. I asked her what mistake she made and why we had changed direction. Apparently, I've always had a strong inner compass.
It was also about that age that I learned Proverbs 4:23 (NIV), which says "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." I realize we are looking at Psalms today, but I think it's a good place to start. The fool in Psalm 53 says in his heart that there is no God. Not in his head. This means that it is not an intellectual denial of God, but a moral rejection of Him. The fool David describes is more just wishing God away so he doesn't have to live under His umbrella of morality.
I think this is the most common rejection of God. Many have probably heard stories of atheists setting out to disprove God, only to be compelled by the evidence for Christianity and converted. Examples include C.S. Lewis, Lee Strobel, Josh McDowell, etc. But when people reject God because they desire to throw off moral authority and live as their own god, that is like jumping with their eyes closed and usually doesn't end well.
The heart's rejection of God reminds us that it is possible for one to believe in his mind that God exists, yet reject God from his heart and life. In Paul's words, "May it never be!" Let us never live as Christian atheists.
I remember my parents one summer making me write out the characteristics of the wise and foolish man from Proverbs. Now when I find I’m going in the wrong direction, I ask myself what the wise man would do. I've always been taught there is a road that leads to blessing and a road that leads to destruction. While we may foolishly choose to live life as if there is no God, God never abandons or gives up on us. Remember, it's never too late to make a U-turn.
Discussion Questions
1. How should you respond to a foolish person?
2. How are you prepared to give a defense of your faith to someone who doesn't believe in God? (1 Peter 3:15)
3. Can you think of a time in your life when you were foolish and needed a U-turn?
4. Can you articulate this lesson in a compelling way to share your story of grace?