Only fools say in their hearts, “There is no God” (Psalm 53:1)
We can trace all our human problems to our view of God. A contrast in two lives from history illustrates the different outcomes that result from a wrong and a right view of God.
The first example is Karl Marx, born in 1818. Marx denied the existence of God, believing that the individual, not God, is the highest form of being. Marx and Friedrich Engels collaborated on defining philosophical ideals that eventually formed the basis for communism.
In the 20th century, Vladimir Lenin revived Marx’s ideas, accomplishing the overthrow of the czarist rule in Russia. Stalin followed Lenin as Communist leader of the Soviet Union. Under their reigns and the Communist rulers who followed them, tens of millions of Russians were slaughtered by the state. The loss of life resulted because these Communist leaders believed that there was no God, that the individual had no inherent value, and that the state was of supreme importance.
Contrast the life of Marx with the life of Martin Luther, born in 1483 in Eisleben, Germany, only a couple of hundred miles from where Marx would later begin his life. He too was a revolutionary. Although he tried to serve God as a monk, he grew increasingly terrified of God’s wrath. Then he was drawn to Romans 1:17, “The righteous will live by faith” (NIV). This simple concept changed his view of God.
Luther’s teaching on the life of faith, as opposed to earning salvation by good works, was the beginning of the great Protestant Reformation in the 16th century that reshaped Europe during the next two centuries. Today, the principle of forgiveness by faith is followed by hundreds of millions of people worldwide.
These two examples show that a false view of God leads to sin and corruption—and many times cruelty and great human tragedy. On the other hand, a proper understanding of God leads to a life of blessing for oneself and many generations to follow.
Application to life: How has Marx’s wrong view of God affected your personal life in thepast? How has Luther’s correct view of God’s grace affected your life?
Additional readings for today: Colossians 2:8-9.
By Bill Bright
©2024 Copyright Bright Media Foundation