[500 words]
No God. People have many gods, but not God. They have the god of pleasure. They worship the god of money. Their “god is their belly” (Phil. 3:19). Though the creation plainly declares God (Psa. 19:1), they still refuse to acknowledge Him.
No Fear. When men turn to themselves, they become presumptuous, self-willed, and “are not afraid to speak evil of dignities” (2 Pet. 2:10). “There is no fear of God before their eyes” (Rom. 3:18), and they are capable of just about anything.
No Respect. Because they have no fear of God, they have no regard for others. Respect for authority, respect for parents, and respect for elders disappear. We should not be surprised when “a child shall behave himself proudly against the ancient” (1 Sam. 3:5).
No Love. In a godless society, people have love, but they are “lovers of their own selves” (2 Tim. 3:2). They even lose the love for their own flesh and blood and are “without natural affection” (Rom. 1:31). Human kindness vanishes and the law of the jungle prevails.
No Restraint. Men who turn from God become like animals, and animals don’t have self-control. All that matters to a beast is satisfying its desires. It is no wonder that the Bible describes some men as “dogs” and “swine” (Deut. 23:18; Matt. 7:6). Some people act like them.
No Limits. The very idea of God means that we are accountable to Him, and that accountability means there are limits to our behavior. Take away the thought of God and in the mind of man there are no real limits. Read the description of the Canaanites in Leviticus 18-20. Read the book of Judges. If a godless mind conceives a thing, it is likely to happen.
No Conscience. Men without God become so hardened by sin that they are “past feeling” (Eph. 4:19). Their conscience is “seared with a hot iron” (1 Tim. 4:2). They develop a reprobate or worthless mind utterly incapable of remorse for sin (Rom. 1:28).
No Shame. Because they have no conscience, they are not embarrassed over their sins. Like the people of Judah, they are neither ashamed nor able to blush because of their abominations (Jer. 6:15). “They declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not” (1 Sam. 3:9).
No Meaning. What is the meaning of life? Why are we here? Is there any purpose for all this? Is there any reason for being born or dying and for all the sorrows, pains, and tears? A godless view of life is a meaningless world. Is it any wonder that so many people are restless and depressed?
No Hope. Before they were baptized, the Gentiles in the church at Ephesus had “no hope” and were “without God in the world” (Eph. 2:12). How tragic! What hope do people without God have? “Let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we die” (1 Cor. 15:32)!
Kerry Duke
West End Church of Christ
Livingston, TN