The Fool Who Says, ‘There Is No God’ — And the Grace That Says, ‘Come Home’ — Psalm 14:1
(Go! And Know the Truth — Psalm 14:1)
Introduction: A World That Thinks It Knows Better
Every age has its fools — not because people lack intelligence, but because they reject truth. We live in a world where humanity believes it has outgrown God. Science, technology, and philosophy promise progress — yet moral decay, despair, and violence reveal that something has gone terribly wrong. Psalm 14:1 confronts this delusion head-on.
Psalm 14:1 (NLT): “Only fools say in their hearts, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, and their actions are evil; not one of them does good!”
David’s words are not spoken with arrogance but with sorrow. He looks upon humanity and sees spiritual blindness — people living as though God does not exist. This is not just ancient Israel’s problem; it’s the 21st century’s reality.
We live in a time when atheism is celebrated as enlightenment, sin is rebranded as freedom, and self becomes the new saviour. Yet, Psalm 14 reminds us — the denial of God is not an intellectual issue but a moral and spiritual one.
Today, let us “Go! And Know the Truth.” Let’s uncover what it really means to live as if “there is no God,” and how the Gospel — the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ — calls every fool to find wisdom, forgiveness, and eternal life in Him.
1. The Condition of the Fool — A Corrupt Heart
David writes, “Only fools say in their hearts, ‘There is no God.’”
The Hebrew word for “fool” here is ????? (nabal) — it doesn’t mean someone who lacks intelligence, but someone morally and spiritually bankrupt. The “fool” is not stupid; he is rebellious. He says in his heart — not his mind — “there is no God.” His denial flows from desire, not from reason. He wants a godless world because he wants to live a godless life.
Romans 1:21–22 (NLT): “Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship Him as God or even give Him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools.”
The Apostle Paul expands David’s thought: humanity suppresses truth. The Greek word for “fool” here is µ??a??? (moraino), meaning “to become dull, tasteless, or absurd.” It’s the same root where we get the word “moron.” Sin dulls our spiritual senses — it blinds us to God’s glory.
John Piper once wrote, “Sin is what you do when your heart is not satisfied with God.”
That statement cuts deep. Every time a person rejects God — in word, in thought, or in lifestyle — it’s because something else has captured their affection. The fool isn’t merely confused — he’s corrupted by misplaced worship.
The Man Who Dismissed the Sun
Imagine a man who wakes each morning, walks outside, and declares, “The sun does not exist.” He feels the warmth on his face, he sees the light around him, yet he insists it’s all coincidence. He builds theories, writes books, and gathers followers who all say, “There is no sun.”
But denial does not extinguish reality. The light still shines — just as God still reigns.
So it is with the fool. God’s presence fills creation, His truth echoes in conscience, yet hearts darkened by sin refuse to acknowledge Him.
2. The Consequence of Rebellion — Corruption and Depravity
David continues: “They are corrupt, and their actions are evil; not one of them does good.”
The Hebrew word for “corrupt” — ?????? (shachath) — means “spoiled, ruined, or decayed.” The picture is of something once good that has gone rotten. This is humanity without God: morally decayed, spiritually dead, and unable to please Him.
Jeremiah 17:9 (NLT): “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?”
The problem isn’t simply behaviour — it’s the heart. The fool’s words flow from a corrupt inner nature. Sin is not a surface problem; it’s a systemic disease.
R.T. Kendall said, “Sin is not just breaking the law; it’s breaking the heart of God.”
How true that is. The fool’s corruption grieves God — for He created us for fellowship, not for rebellion.
Romans 3:10–12 (NLT): “As the Scriptures say, ‘No one is righteous — not even one. No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God. All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one.’”
Paul quotes Psalm 14 directly here. The diagnosis is universal — not one of us can claim innocence. Apart from grace, every person is the fool. The difference between the atheist and the self-righteous churchgoer is only this: both need the mercy of God.
The Rotten Apple
A farmer once noticed one apple in his basket beginning to rot. By the next day, the rot had spread. He realised he had to remove it quickly — because corruption, left unchecked, always spreads.
Sin works the same way. The denial of God always leads to decay — in homes, in societies, in hearts.
3. The Compassion of God — Seeking the Fool
In Psalm 14:2, David writes: “The LORD looks down from heaven on the entire human race; He looks to see if anyone is truly wise, if anyone seeks God.”
This verse is breathtaking. Despite humanity’s rebellion, God still looks down. The same God who judged sin in the flood and confused tongues at Babel still searches for hearts that will turn toward Him.
The Hebrew phrase “looks down” (????????? Yahweh hishkiph) suggests an intentional, loving gaze — not to condemn, but to seek. God is not indifferent to our folly. He is pursuing fools — calling them to repentance and faith.
Luke 19:10 (NLT): “For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.”
Jesus is the embodiment of this Psalm’s hope. Where humanity could not reach up to God, God came down to us. Christ entered the world of fools to redeem them by His blood.
Max Lucado once said, “God loves you just the way you are, but He refuses to leave you that way. He wants you to be just like Jesus.”
That is grace! God’s love doesn’t ignore sin — it transforms sinners. The Cross is where fools become forgiven, where rebels become sons and daughters of God.
4. The Call of the Gospel — Wisdom Found in Christ
The fool says, “There is no God.”
But the wise say, “There is no life without Christ.”
1 Corinthians 1:18 (NLT): “The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God.”
To the world, the Gospel seems foolish — that a crucified carpenter from Nazareth could save humanity? Yet in that seeming folly lies the deepest wisdom of heaven. The Greek word µ???a (moria) — “foolishness” — reappears here, showing the irony: God’s “foolishness” is wiser than man’s wisdom.
Charles Stanley wrote, “Obedience always brings blessing, even when the world calls it foolish.”
To believe in Jesus is to reject the false wisdom of this world — to trust not in intellect, but in the mercy of the Saviour who died and rose again.
5. The Conversion of the Fool — From Darkness to Light
The Gospel offers a glorious reversal. The fool who denies God can become the child who delights in God.
Ephesians 5:8 (NLT): “For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!”
When Christ enters a heart, darkness flees. The “foolish” are made wise through faith in Jesus. The transformation is not moral reform — it’s spiritual rebirth.
Tim Keller said, “The Gospel is not advice to live better; it’s news that someone has already lived perfectly on your behalf.”
That’s the heart of salvation. Jesus lived the life we could not live, died the death we deserved, and rose again to give us life eternal.
The Candle in the Cave
A traveller once found himself lost in a deep cave. Darkness surrounded him — so thick he couldn’t see his own hands. Then, a flicker appeared — one small candle held by a guide who came to rescue him.
The traveller followed that light, step by step, until he reached safety.
Friend, that candle is Christ. The fool lives in darkness, but Jesus says, “I am the Light of the world. If you follow Me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” (John 8:12 NLT)
6. The Call to Respond — Repent, Believe, and Live
The truth is simple yet profound: We are all the fool of Psalm 14 until we bow before Jesus Christ.
The Gospel calls us to repent — to turn from sin and self — and to believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. His death on the Cross paid the penalty for our sin. His resurrection proved His victory over death. And His Spirit now calls us to respond in faith.
If you’ve been living as though God does not exist — if you’ve known about Him but not known Him — today is the day of salvation. The same God who looked down from heaven now looks upon your heart. And in His mercy, He says, “Come home.”
A Heartfelt Invitation to Salvation:
Will you come? Will you surrender your foolishness for His wisdom?
Will you exchange your corruption for His cleansing?
Will you lay your life down at the foot of the Cross and rise in the power of His resurrection?
Jesus Christ is Lord. He is Saviour. He is the wisdom of God made flesh.
And He calls you now — to repent, to believe, to live.
Benediction / Exhortation:
Beloved, go and live as those who know there is a God — who trust in His goodness, and who walk in His wisdom.
Do not be shaped by the folly of this world, but by the truth of the living Word.
Let your life proclaim to all who see you: “Jesus Christ is Lord, and there is no other.”
