Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered outside the gate.  Therefore, let us go forth to him outside the camp, bearing his reproach.  For we have no continuing city here, but we seek one to come.

 
 
 

Going to Jesus

Daily Thoughts

 Select a thought to read by choosing a collection, the month, and then the day:

 

Thought for the Morning
5-23

In A World Without God, Part 3

The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’
David, in Psalm 14:1

Paul made a list of good and evil things in Galatians 5, but look at them from the point of view of these men, from the viewpoint of a world without God. First, the evil “works of the flesh”:

The Works of the Flesh in a World Without God

(Gal. 5:19-21)

  • immorality - In a world without God, any kind of immoral conduct is acceptable, no matter how perverse it may seem to those in a world with God. And Paul’s exhortation to young Timothy to “flee fornication” is shown to be merely superstitious bondage.
  • uncleanness - In a world without God, purity has no value. It actually becomes an undesirable hindrance to a right understanding of life. So, people who are child molesters in God’s world, appear in a world with no God to be child educators, broadening a child’s narrow horizons.
  • licentiousness - In a world without God, any restraint upon human moral conduct is oppressive nonsense. The most perverted acts are seen as mere expressions of self and of liberty.
  • idolatry and sorcery - In a world without God, as in God’s world, this kind of conduct is wrong. But in a Godless world, it is mere foolishness practiced by the shallow-minded. In God’s world, it can be deadly, for demons can become involved and deceive people with their power.
  • hostilities, strife, and disputes - In a world without God, violent conflicts are unavoidable, as different people’s quests for self-aggrandizement conflict. In the end, a world without God becomes a “dog-eat-dog” world in which the strong crush the weak.
  • emulation and envy - In a world without God, desire for the pleasure and wealth that others possess is reason enough for murder or for war. Envy becomes a primary motivator of all human action.
  • angry outbursts - In a world without God, there is nothing to restrain violence if one is frustrated with failures or has a lack of anything.
  • selfish ambition - In a world without God, the pleasing of self is the only wise and reasonable purpose for doing anything.
  • factions - In a world without God, people can unite in groups to take from others something they want, but how long can such a group hold together when self is the only real motivating factor?
  • drunkenness and revelry - In a world without God, “getting high” or wild abandon to fleshly lusts is just as acceptable a life choice as becoming a builder if that is what self wants. There is no standard by which either goodness or wickedness can be determined, nor can there be, in a world without God.

Next Time: In A World Without God, Part 4

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