No Substitute For God
Bobby Dockery
Fayetteville, AR
7/2/97
No Substitute For God
In a thought provoking article which appeared in Reader’s Digest a number of years ago, David Raphael Klein notes that the world has been looking for a substitute for God for a long time. He writes:
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 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 forced to say there is nothing sacred about human life. If life is not sacred then there is no logical argument against murder, rape, or any other crime!
Without God there is no meaning in life or reason for existence. Man 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 left without an explanation for the universe. How can anyone contemplate the eye of a horsefly, the mechanics of human finger movement, the intricacy of the nucleus of a cell, or the complexity of the universe and say it all happened by sheer, blind chance. Such a person believes in a miracle far more astounding than any in the Bible!
Without God we are without hope and are of all men most miserable. David Klein notes, 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 ultimate despair. God’s grace keeps us from despairing of ourselves and God’s providence keeps us from despairing about our world.
Nothing else can take the place of God. For life to have meaning, God must be at the center.
Matthew 6.33. There is no substitute for God!
BOBBY DOCKERY
Fayetteville, Ark.
