October 22, 2025 • 22 mins
When things go awry, it’s time to go back to the basics. This is true in education, in business, in sports or any other area of life. It is certainly true in morals.
Our world is very mixed up. The only way to have clarity in a world or confusion is to begin at the beginning. In the study of right and wring, that means going back to the first book of the Bible—the book of Genesis. There we find the true foundation of morality: God.
This episode shows that the only way for a nation or an individual to change is to put God in their lives, and that begins by putting Him in our hearts.
Read about this subject:
- Scriptures: Genesis 1; Romans 1:20-32; Psalm 8:3-5
- Right From the Beginning in a World of Wrong
- "This Nation Under God"
Listen to more on this subject:
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Hi, I’m Kerry Duke, host of My Godand My Neighbor podcast from Tennessee
Bible College, where we see the Bibleas not just another book, but the Book.
Join us in a study of the inspiredword to strengthen your faith and to
share what you've learned with others.
Is it wrong to judge gays and lesbians?
Is it ever right to lie?
(00:23):
Why is sex before marriage wrongif two people love each other?
Is killing an animal asbad as killing a person?
How would you answer these questions?
What would your friends say about them?
Many people are confusedabout right and wrong.
Some don't know the difference,and others don't care.
They know how they feel, but they can'tgive you a reason why they approve of
(00:44):
some things and disapprove of others.
People today don't think they need to betaught about right and wrong, but they do.
They need guidance.
They need answers.
They don't need just any teaching.
There are all kinds of opinionsabout morals, but that is
all they are—human opinions.
What people need is help from above.
(01:07):
They need direction from the Creator.
“Oh Lord, I know that theway of man is not in himself.
It is not in man who walks to directhis steps [Jeremiah 10, verse 23].
We think we know how to directour steps, but we don't.
When we follow our ownthinking, we get into trouble.
(01:29):
That is why we need God to guide us.
God made us, he knows more about usthan we'll ever know about ourselves.
He alone decides what is right or wrong,and only He can guide us in the right way.
Trying to live right withoutGod is like trying to drive a
car without a steering wheel.
When you think about the Bibleas our moral compass, are there
(01:52):
any verses that come to mind?
You may recall the 10Commandments or the Golden Rule.
These are great examples, but there'sanother section of Scripture that lays the
proper foundation for moral understanding.
The first 11 chapters of Genesiscontain a treasure of moral truths.
The opening pages of the Bible addressmany of the questions people raise today.
(02:16):
If the majority of people just livedby this one section of Scripture, we
wouldn't have as many problems andour world would be a better place.
If these chapters were taught inhomes and schools, people would
be nicer to each other and ourneighborhoods would be safer.
It only takes a few minutes to read thesechapters, but it will take a lifetime
(02:37):
to appreciate how important they are.
The lessons in this study will help usto see why we need to remember them.
Chapter one—God (02:44):
back to the beginning.
Genesis means beginning.
The first book of the Bibleshows how it all started.
It is about the beginning,not just any beginning.
“In the beginning, God created the heavensand the earth” [Genesis one verse one].
The opening chapter describes how Godmade the world and everything in it.
(03:07):
He put certain laws in placeto govern His creation.
We call them laws of nature.
You can learn about how nature worksby reading science books, but if you
want to understand why the world ishere, how it began, and where it is
going, you have to read the Bible,especially the first pages of Genesis.
(03:28):
The book of Genesis is not just aboutthe beginning of the material world.
It also reveals the beginning ofGod's relationship with mankind.
When God created man, He gavehim rules and responsibilities.
He set certain moral laws in place.
You can learn some basic thingsabout right and wrong from
nature [Romans two 14 and 15].
(03:50):
But if you really want to understandmorality the way God intended it, you will
need to read the first pages of the Bible.
There you will learn theABCs of right and wrong.
There you will find answers to yourown questions and those people debate.
The more you know about this partof the Bible, the better foundation
(04:11):
you will have for dealing withlife's issues and responsibilities.
There was a time when mostAmericans understood these basic
moral teachings.They learned themin homes, schools, and churches.
Everyone knew they came from the Bible,but this is no longer true in many cases.
That is why it is so important togo back to the drawing board of
(04:32):
right and wrong from the beginning.
Did you know that schools oncetaught students about God, the
Bible, and right and wrong?
Do you realize there was a time inAmerica when no one cussed on television
or took God's name in vain in a movie?
Few people today realize how much thestandards of decency have changed.
(04:53):
Here's some samples of exercisesfrom the Blueback Speller once
used in schools across America.
This is from 1809.
“Love not the world nor the things thatare in the world, for they are sin.” “I
will not fear what flesh can do to me,for my trust is in Him who made the world.
(05:13):
He is nigh to them that pray to him andpraise his name.” “Be a good child. Mind
your book. Love your school, and strive tolearn.” “Tell no tales, call no ill names.
You must not lie, nor swear, norcheat, nor steal.” Education in
the 1800s was not just learningabout math, science, and history.
(05:37):
Young people were taught to reverencethe Creator and respect each other.
Here are some excerpts from theProduction Code of the Motion
Picture Industry from 1930.
Crimes Against the Law.
These shall never be presented in such away as to throw sympathy with the crime,
as against law and justice, or to inspireothers with a desire for imitation.
(06:02):
Murder.
The technique of murder must be presentedin a way that will not inspire imitation.
Brutal killings are notto be presented in detail.
Sex.
The sanctity of the institution ofmarriage and the home shall be upheld.
Pictures shall not infer thatlow forms of sex relationship
are the accepted or common thing.
(06:23):
Vulgarity.
The treatment of low, disgusting,unpleasant, though not necessarily evil
subjects, should be guided always by thedictates of good taste and a proper regard
for the sensibilities of the audience.
Obscenity.
Obscenity in word, gesture, reference,song, joke, or by suggestion, even
(06:45):
when likely to be understood only bypart of the audience, is forbidden.
Costume.
Complete nudity is never permitted.
Indecent or undue exposure is forbidden.
We live in a different world today.
Many people no longer want God and theBible to have a place in our culture.
Where has this rebellion led?
(07:06):
Is it any wonder thenation is full of meanness?
How can adults abuse little children?
How can a person take a gun intoa mall or a school or even a
church and shoot innocent people?
The world we live in is notthe society of 200 years ago.
Things were not perfect then, butthere was more respect for others
because there was more respect for God.
(07:29):
There is no excuse for people tobe so evil because even nature
shows that God is our Creator.
The heavens declare the glory ofGod and the firmament shows his
handiwork [Psalm 19 verse one].
The “heavens” are the sun, moon, andstars. The “firmament” is the sky with
its colors, clouds, rain, lightning,rainbows, and other spectacular
(07:53):
displays of the power of God.
Paul said nature shows the hand of Godin Romans one 20 when he wrote, “Since
the creation of the world His invisibleattributes are clearly seen, being
understood by the things that are made,even His eternal power and Godhead,
so that they are without excuse.”Nature doesn't tell us everything we
(08:15):
need to know about right and wrong.
It can't teach us how to be forgivenof our sins, but it does reveal that
we are accountable to our Creator.
If we know that God created us, thenwe can know some basics about morality.
Since anyone can see the handof God in his creation, why do
so many refuse to honor Him?
(08:36):
Romans one explains why.
They don't want to live likethe Creator tells them to live.
They don't like answering to God.
They want to be free to dowhatever makes them feel good.
The people in Romans one knew God, butthey turned away from him [verse 21].
They looked to their own thinkingto decide what was good or bad.
(08:58):
The more they depended on theirown wisdom, the more arrogant and
rebellious they became [verse 22].
Once they put God out of their minds,they lived like there were no rules.
They worshiped idols[verses 23 through 25].
They became homosexuals[verses 26 and 27].
They were full of all kinds ofevil [verses 29 through 32].
(09:20):
How did this happen?
Verse 28 says, “They did not like toretain God in their knowledge.” This means
they tried the idea of the true God andthey rejected Him because He has rules.
They didn't become atheists.
They just tried to make their own gods.
These gods didn't tell them no.
(09:41):
They made up their own version ofsome gods so they could do whatever
they wanted without feeling guilty.
In the beginning, God made man inhis image [Genesis one, verse 26].
Now man tries to make God into his image.
Here are these steps in turning away fromGod in Romans one, verses 18 through 32.
(10:03):
Number one, they refuse toacknowledge God in verse 21.
They were unthankful in verse 21.
They were empty in their thinkingin verse 21, and their hearts
were darkened in the same verse.
Then they boasted about beingintelligent in verse 22.
They changed the conceptof God in verse 23.
(10:24):
They dishonored theirown bodies in verse 24.
They exchanged the truthfor a lie in verse 25.
They had vile affections in verse 26.
They became homosexualsin verses 26 and 27.
They had a worthless mind in verse28, and then they plunged into
moral chaos in verses 29 through 32.
(10:46):
This trend has occurredfor thousands of years.
People become like the God they adore.
If they worship a false god in theform of an idol that looks like an
animal or a man, then they will actlike animals or men without God.
If they worship the true God,they will become more like him.
If they love God, they will belifted higher in their morals.
(11:09):
If they serve an idol,their morals will decline.
If they don't believe in God atall, then they have no basis for
deciding between right and wrongother than their own opinions.
Sometimes atheists and skeptics say,“We don't need God in the Bible to be
good.” There are atheists that don'tact like wild animals and kill people.
(11:29):
Some of them are decentneighbors, but why?
If there is no God, thereis no real right and wrong.
And if there is no right and wrong,then there's no way to know whether it's
better to shoot a neighbor or help him.
If he is good in any way, it is inspite of atheism and not because of it.
(11:50):
Sometimes atheists havehad moral teaching.
Their parents may have taught them torespect others, or their teachers may have
told them they shouldn't lie and steal.
Atheists also have a conscience that won'tlet them live like their unbelief implies.
They might argue that there's nodifference between the life of a person
and the life of an animal, but if itcomes down to it, they will say that they
(12:11):
should live and the animal should die.
There are people who talk the talk ofatheism, but they don't walk the walk.
They may sound intelligent andarticulate, but they're not being honest
with the facts or with themselves.
Remember that the Bible says the foolhas said in his heart there is no God.
Psalm 14 verse one.
(12:32):
It is true that a person whosays he believes in God is not
necessarily better than an atheist.
There are people who claim tobe Christians that are evil.
There are churches and churchleaders who have done despicable
things, but that is not because ofbelieving in God and following the
Bible with honesty and sincerity.
(12:52):
There will always be hypocrites.
There will always bepeople who abuse religion.
But it is true that the more a personbelieves in and loves God and knows
the Bible, the better he will be.
And the further a man departs fromGod, the worse he will become.
The whole Bible and the entirescope of history prove this.
(13:14):
Let's bring this discussiondown to you and your life.
If God is the foundation for how weshould live, how can we keep Him and our
thoughts and lives in a wicked world?
What can we do to draw others to him?
Number one, see His handin nature every day.
If your faith in God grows weak,all you have to do is look up, down
(13:36):
and around you, or just look atyourself to be reminded of his power.
Look at the sky during the day.
God paints it differently every day.
Look at the moon and stars at night.
Take time to meditate on thesimple wonders of the creation.
Any part of the world is an incredibledisplay of the work of God—whales or
(13:57):
goldfish, elephants or ants, trees orflowers, hummingbirds or butterflies.
Just look at your hand andthink about how it is made.
What a remarkable feat of engineering.
Men cannot even come close tomaking something like this.
When you think about these wonders, youcan say with David, “I am fearfully and
(14:18):
wonderfully made [Psalm 139, verse 14].
It is sad when skeptics say theydon't see any proof of God since
they walk right by it every day.
It is even sadder that Christiansare so busy talking and texting and
having fun that they don't thinkabout the beauty of the creation.
Don't make that mistake.
(14:39):
Get in the habit of seeing the hand ofGod in creation instead of ignoring it.
Some people are naturelovers, but not lovers of God.
They love animals and hate pollution.
They talk about “mother earth”but never mention the Creator.
It takes more than just having an interestin nature to see the hand of God in it.
(14:59):
When we truly meditate on the creation,it humbles us and leaves us in awe of God.
David said, “When I consider your heavens,the work of your fingers, the moon and
the stars, which you have ordained,what is man that you are mindful of him?
[Psalm eight, verses three and four].
He was amazed that man is so tinyin this vast universe, yet God has
(15:23):
given him so much honor and powerover the rest of the creation [Psalm
eight verses five through eight].
Why is this so important indoing right instead of wrong?
The more we think about God andwho He is, the more inclined
we will be to please Him.
The less we think about God,the less we will care about
doing what He wants us to do.
(15:44):
This is a choice.
Some people think aboutGod and others don't.
Make up your mind to think deeper aboutthe world and get into the habit of
seeing God's handiwork in nature everyday, everywhere in everything, to see how
the thought of God affects your actions.
Let's try and experiment.
Think about God.
Really think about who he is.
(16:07):
Now try to think about Godseriously and at the same time,
think about something wrong.
What you find is that you have toremove the thought of God before you
can really think about something bad.
As long as we think intently on God, itis very hard to even imagine doing wrong.
Number two, acknowledge God as the giverof all good things and be thankful.
(16:32):
The Bible says “every good giftand every perfect gift is from
above” [James one verse 17]. Godgives to all “life and breath and
all things” [Acts 17, verse 25].
Since we can clearly see that God isbehind the laws of nature, it should
be natural for us to be thankful.
(16:53):
We ought to think about how we get ourfood every day and thank God for it.
We should feel humbled that Heloves us and provides for us.
We should never take our blessingsfor granted because if we do, we
have ignored the good hand of God.
Take time every day to thankGod for your blessings.
Gratitude says a lot about your character.
(17:15):
So does the sin of ingratitude.
If we remember God and thank him forwhat we have, we will be better people.
Our attitude about everything willbe better, and we will treat others
the way we want to be treated.
If we are ungrateful and expecteverything, that attitude will
show in how we talk and act.
(17:35):
Ingratitude is not just aminor flaw in a person's heart.
It is not an innocent oversight wecan justify by saying, “I know God
gives me all this, but I just forgetto be thankful.” Ingratitude is a bad
habit that affects everything we do.
To see how wrong unthankfulnessis, consider a list of sins
Paul gave in Second Timothy.
(17:57):
He said, “For men will be lovers ofthemselves, lovers of money, boasters,
proud, blasphemers, disobedient toparents, unthankful, unholy” [Second
Timothy chapter three, verse two]. Paulput ingratitude in the midst of all
kinds of other sins. Notice also whatwe saw in Romans one verse 21, “Because
(18:20):
although they knew God, they did notglorify him as God, nor were thankful.”
What happened when the Gentilesin Romans one didn't acknowledge
God and give Him glory?
They became ungratefulfor what He gave them.
Once they developed thisattitude, they became prideful
and turned to all kinds of evil.
(18:40):
Ingratitude says a lot about a person'swhole life, and it says even more
about one's attitude toward God.
Number three.
Read the Bible often.
Nature tells us some basic things aboutGod, but the Bible tells us much more.
In the creation we learn about theGod of nature, and in the Bible we
learn more about the nature of God.
(19:00):
We learn about sin—what itis, and how we commit it.
We learn about God's displeasure with sin.
The Old Testament has many storiesthat teach us how God looks at sin.
He destroyed the world with theflood because of the evil of man.
He punished the Israelites manytimes because of their rebellion.
He sent his Son to pay the penaltyfor sin by dying on the cross.
(19:23):
Someday all of us will standbefore God in judgment to give an
account of the things we have done.
“So then each of us shall give accountof himself to God” [Romans 14 verse 12].
If we have not been forgiven ofour sins by the blood of Christ, we
will be in hell for all eternity.
Hell is a place of everlasting fireand everlasting punishment [Matthew
(19:45):
chapter 25, verses 41 and 46].
How can a loving God do this?
Because God is a God of justiceas well as a God of love.
He hates sin and loves righteousness.
Paul said, “Consider the goodness andseverity of God” [Romans 11, verse 22].
God is good, but He is also severe.
(20:08):
Do you see how believing in the God ofthe Bible shapes the way a person lives?
Believing in God and sin and the judgmentcreates a sense of fear and respect.
A person who believes that Godis displeased with sin will be
more likely to think twice aboutcommitting it and will also be more
likely to be sorry that he did.
Yes, the fear of God is a good thing.
(20:30):
Sometimes it is the strongestreason not to do wrong.
For instance, when Joseph was a youngman, he worked for a man named Potiphar.
Joseph was handsome and successful.
Potiphar's wife made advancestoward him numerous times.
Once she caught him by himselfand tried to seduce him.
Nobody was there but these two.
(20:52):
Joseph refused and left.
Why?
He could have thought, “Nobodywill find out.” But he didn't.
To him, the main thing was notwhether people knew, but the
fact that God would see him.
The question that guided him was (21:05):
“How then can I do this great wickedness and
sin against God” [Genesis 39 verse nine”.
It was his faith in Godthat kept him from sin.
It is faith in God thatwill keep you from sin.
Thank you for listeningto My God and My neighbor.
(21:25):
Stay connected with our podcast on ourwebsite and on Apple, Spotify, YouTube,
or wherever fine podcasts are distributed.
Tennessee Bible College, providingChristian education since 1975
in Cookeville, Tennessee, offersundergraduate and graduate programs.
Study at your level.
Aim higher and get in touch with us today.
Hi, I’m Kerry Duke, host of My Godand My Neighbor podcast from Tennessee
Bible College, where we see the Bibleas not just another book, but the Book.
Join us in a study of the inspiredword to strengthen your faith and to
share what you've learned with others.
Is it wrong to judge gays and lesbians?
Is it ever right to lie?
(00:23):
Why is sex before marriage wrongif two people love each other?
Is killing an animal asbad as killing a person?
How would you answer these questions?
What would your friends say about them?
Many people are confusedabout right and wrong.
Some don't know the difference,and others don't care.
They know how they feel, but they can'tgive you a reason why they approve of
(00:44):
some things and disapprove of others.
People today don't think they need to betaught about right and wrong, but they do.
They need guidance.
They need answers.
They don't need just any teaching.
There are all kinds of opinionsabout morals, but that is
all they are—human opinions.
What people need is help from above.
(01:07):
They need direction from the Creator.
“Oh Lord, I know that theway of man is not in himself.
It is not in man who walks to directhis steps [Jeremiah 10, verse 23].
We think we know how to directour steps, but we don't.
When we follow our ownthinking, we get into trouble.
(01:29):
That is why we need God to guide us.
God made us, he knows more about usthan we'll ever know about ourselves.
He alone decides what is right or wrong,and only He can guide us in the right way.
Trying to live right withoutGod is like trying to drive a
car without a steering wheel.
When you think about the Bibleas our moral compass, are there
(01:52):
any verses that come to mind?
You may recall the 10Commandments or the Golden Rule.
These are great examples, but there'sanother section of Scripture that lays the
proper foundation for moral understanding.
The first 11 chapters of Genesiscontain a treasure of moral truths.
The opening pages of the Bible addressmany of the questions people raise today.
(02:16):
If the majority of people just livedby this one section of Scripture, we
wouldn't have as many problems andour world would be a better place.
If these chapters were taught inhomes and schools, people would
be nicer to each other and ourneighborhoods would be safer.
It only takes a few minutes to read thesechapters, but it will take a lifetime
(02:37):
to appreciate how important they are.
The lessons in this study will help usto see why we need to remember them.
Chapter one—God (02:44):
back to the beginning.
Genesis means beginning.
The first book of the Bibleshows how it all started.
It is about the beginning,not just any beginning.
“In the beginning, God created the heavensand the earth” [Genesis one verse one].
The opening chapter describes how Godmade the world and everything in it.
(03:07):
He put certain laws in placeto govern His creation.
We call them laws of nature.
You can learn about how nature worksby reading science books, but if you
want to understand why the world ishere, how it began, and where it is
going, you have to read the Bible,especially the first pages of Genesis.
(03:28):
The book of Genesis is not just aboutthe beginning of the material world.
It also reveals the beginning ofGod's relationship with mankind.
When God created man, He gavehim rules and responsibilities.
He set certain moral laws in place.
You can learn some basic thingsabout right and wrong from
nature [Romans two 14 and 15].
(03:50):
But if you really want to understandmorality the way God intended it, you will
need to read the first pages of the Bible.
There you will learn theABCs of right and wrong.
There you will find answers to yourown questions and those people debate.
The more you know about this partof the Bible, the better foundation
(04:11):
you will have for dealing withlife's issues and responsibilities.
There was a time when mostAmericans understood these basic
moral teachings.They learned themin homes, schools, and churches.
Everyone knew they came from the Bible,but this is no longer true in many cases.
That is why it is so important togo back to the drawing board of
(04:32):
right and wrong from the beginning.
Did you know that schools oncetaught students about God, the
Bible, and right and wrong?
Do you realize there was a time inAmerica when no one cussed on television
or took God's name in vain in a movie?
Few people today realize how much thestandards of decency have changed.
(04:53):
Here's some samples of exercisesfrom the Blueback Speller once
used in schools across America.
This is from 1809.
“Love not the world nor the things thatare in the world, for they are sin.” “I
will not fear what flesh can do to me,for my trust is in Him who made the world.
(05:13):
He is nigh to them that pray to him andpraise his name.” “Be a good child. Mind
your book. Love your school, and strive tolearn.” “Tell no tales, call no ill names.
You must not lie, nor swear, norcheat, nor steal.” Education in
the 1800s was not just learningabout math, science, and history.
(05:37):
Young people were taught to reverencethe Creator and respect each other.
Here are some excerpts from theProduction Code of the Motion
Picture Industry from 1930.
Crimes Against the Law.
These shall never be presented in such away as to throw sympathy with the crime,
as against law and justice, or to inspireothers with a desire for imitation.
(06:02):
Murder.
The technique of murder must be presentedin a way that will not inspire imitation.
Brutal killings are notto be presented in detail.
Sex.
The sanctity of the institution ofmarriage and the home shall be upheld.
Pictures shall not infer thatlow forms of sex relationship
are the accepted or common thing.
(06:23):
Vulgarity.
The treatment of low, disgusting,unpleasant, though not necessarily evil
subjects, should be guided always by thedictates of good taste and a proper regard
for the sensibilities of the audience.
Obscenity.
Obscenity in word, gesture, reference,song, joke, or by suggestion, even
(06:45):
when likely to be understood only bypart of the audience, is forbidden.
Costume.
Complete nudity is never permitted.
Indecent or undue exposure is forbidden.
We live in a different world today.
Many people no longer want God and theBible to have a place in our culture.
Where has this rebellion led?
(07:06):
Is it any wonder thenation is full of meanness?
How can adults abuse little children?
How can a person take a gun intoa mall or a school or even a
church and shoot innocent people?
The world we live in is notthe society of 200 years ago.
Things were not perfect then, butthere was more respect for others
because there was more respect for God.
(07:29):
There is no excuse for people tobe so evil because even nature
shows that God is our Creator.
The heavens declare the glory ofGod and the firmament shows his
handiwork [Psalm 19 verse one].
The “heavens” are the sun, moon, andstars. The “firmament” is the sky with
its colors, clouds, rain, lightning,rainbows, and other spectacular
(07:53):
displays of the power of God.
Paul said nature shows the hand of Godin Romans one 20 when he wrote, “Since
the creation of the world His invisibleattributes are clearly seen, being
understood by the things that are made,even His eternal power and Godhead,
so that they are without excuse.”Nature doesn't tell us everything we
(08:15):
need to know about right and wrong.
It can't teach us how to be forgivenof our sins, but it does reveal that
we are accountable to our Creator.
If we know that God created us, thenwe can know some basics about morality.
Since anyone can see the handof God in his creation, why do
so many refuse to honor Him?
(08:36):
Romans one explains why.
They don't want to live likethe Creator tells them to live.
They don't like answering to God.
They want to be free to dowhatever makes them feel good.
The people in Romans one knew God, butthey turned away from him [verse 21].
They looked to their own thinkingto decide what was good or bad.
(08:58):
The more they depended on theirown wisdom, the more arrogant and
rebellious they became [verse 22].
Once they put God out of their minds,they lived like there were no rules.
They worshiped idols[verses 23 through 25].
They became homosexuals[verses 26 and 27].
They were full of all kinds ofevil [verses 29 through 32].
(09:20):
How did this happen?
Verse 28 says, “They did not like toretain God in their knowledge.” This means
they tried the idea of the true God andthey rejected Him because He has rules.
They didn't become atheists.
They just tried to make their own gods.
These gods didn't tell them no.
(09:41):
They made up their own version ofsome gods so they could do whatever
they wanted without feeling guilty.
In the beginning, God made man inhis image [Genesis one, verse 26].
Now man tries to make God into his image.
Here are these steps in turning away fromGod in Romans one, verses 18 through 32.
(10:03):
Number one, they refuse toacknowledge God in verse 21.
They were unthankful in verse 21.
They were empty in their thinkingin verse 21, and their hearts
were darkened in the same verse.
Then they boasted about beingintelligent in verse 22.
They changed the conceptof God in verse 23.
(10:24):
They dishonored theirown bodies in verse 24.
They exchanged the truthfor a lie in verse 25.
They had vile affections in verse 26.
They became homosexualsin verses 26 and 27.
They had a worthless mind in verse28, and then they plunged into
moral chaos in verses 29 through 32.
(10:46):
This trend has occurredfor thousands of years.
People become like the God they adore.
If they worship a false god in theform of an idol that looks like an
animal or a man, then they will actlike animals or men without God.
If they worship the true God,they will become more like him.
If they love God, they will belifted higher in their morals.
(11:09):
If they serve an idol,their morals will decline.
If they don't believe in God atall, then they have no basis for
deciding between right and wrongother than their own opinions.
Sometimes atheists and skeptics say,“We don't need God in the Bible to be
good.” There are atheists that don'tact like wild animals and kill people.
(11:29):
Some of them are decentneighbors, but why?
If there is no God, thereis no real right and wrong.
And if there is no right and wrong,then there's no way to know whether it's
better to shoot a neighbor or help him.
If he is good in any way, it is inspite of atheism and not because of it.
(11:50):
Sometimes atheists havehad moral teaching.
Their parents may have taught them torespect others, or their teachers may have
told them they shouldn't lie and steal.
Atheists also have a conscience that won'tlet them live like their unbelief implies.
They might argue that there's nodifference between the life of a person
and the life of an animal, but if itcomes down to it, they will say that they
(12:11):
should live and the animal should die.
There are people who talk the talk ofatheism, but they don't walk the walk.
They may sound intelligent andarticulate, but they're not being honest
with the facts or with themselves.
Remember that the Bible says the foolhas said in his heart there is no God.
Psalm 14 verse one.
(12:32):
It is true that a person whosays he believes in God is not
necessarily better than an atheist.
There are people who claim tobe Christians that are evil.
There are churches and churchleaders who have done despicable
things, but that is not because ofbelieving in God and following the
Bible with honesty and sincerity.
(12:52):
There will always be hypocrites.
There will always bepeople who abuse religion.
But it is true that the more a personbelieves in and loves God and knows
the Bible, the better he will be.
And the further a man departs fromGod, the worse he will become.
The whole Bible and the entirescope of history prove this.
(13:14):
Let's bring this discussiondown to you and your life.
If God is the foundation for how weshould live, how can we keep Him and our
thoughts and lives in a wicked world?
What can we do to draw others to him?
Number one, see His handin nature every day.
If your faith in God grows weak,all you have to do is look up, down
(13:36):
and around you, or just look atyourself to be reminded of his power.
Look at the sky during the day.
God paints it differently every day.
Look at the moon and stars at night.
Take time to meditate on thesimple wonders of the creation.
Any part of the world is an incredibledisplay of the work of God—whales or
(13:57):
goldfish, elephants or ants, trees orflowers, hummingbirds or butterflies.
Just look at your hand andthink about how it is made.
What a remarkable feat of engineering.
Men cannot even come close tomaking something like this.
When you think about these wonders, youcan say with David, “I am fearfully and
(14:18):
wonderfully made [Psalm 139, verse 14].
It is sad when skeptics say theydon't see any proof of God since
they walk right by it every day.
It is even sadder that Christiansare so busy talking and texting and
having fun that they don't thinkabout the beauty of the creation.
Don't make that mistake.
(14:39):
Get in the habit of seeing the hand ofGod in creation instead of ignoring it.
Some people are naturelovers, but not lovers of God.
They love animals and hate pollution.
They talk about “mother earth”but never mention the Creator.
It takes more than just having an interestin nature to see the hand of God in it.
(14:59):
When we truly meditate on the creation,it humbles us and leaves us in awe of God.
David said, “When I consider your heavens,the work of your fingers, the moon and
the stars, which you have ordained,what is man that you are mindful of him?
[Psalm eight, verses three and four].
He was amazed that man is so tinyin this vast universe, yet God has
(15:23):
given him so much honor and powerover the rest of the creation [Psalm
eight verses five through eight].
Why is this so important indoing right instead of wrong?
The more we think about God andwho He is, the more inclined
we will be to please Him.
The less we think about God,the less we will care about
doing what He wants us to do.
(15:44):
This is a choice.
Some people think aboutGod and others don't.
Make up your mind to think deeper aboutthe world and get into the habit of
seeing God's handiwork in nature everyday, everywhere in everything, to see how
the thought of God affects your actions.
Let's try and experiment.
Think about God.
Really think about who he is.
(16:07):
Now try to think about Godseriously and at the same time,
think about something wrong.
What you find is that you have toremove the thought of God before you
can really think about something bad.
As long as we think intently on God, itis very hard to even imagine doing wrong.
Number two, acknowledge God as the giverof all good things and be thankful.
(16:32):
The Bible says “every good giftand every perfect gift is from
above” [James one verse 17]. Godgives to all “life and breath and
all things” [Acts 17, verse 25].
Since we can clearly see that God isbehind the laws of nature, it should
be natural for us to be thankful.
(16:53):
We ought to think about how we get ourfood every day and thank God for it.
We should feel humbled that Heloves us and provides for us.
We should never take our blessingsfor granted because if we do, we
have ignored the good hand of God.
Take time every day to thankGod for your blessings.
Gratitude says a lot about your character.
(17:15):
So does the sin of ingratitude.
If we remember God and thank him forwhat we have, we will be better people.
Our attitude about everything willbe better, and we will treat others
the way we want to be treated.
If we are ungrateful and expecteverything, that attitude will
show in how we talk and act.
(17:35):
Ingratitude is not just aminor flaw in a person's heart.
It is not an innocent oversight wecan justify by saying, “I know God
gives me all this, but I just forgetto be thankful.” Ingratitude is a bad
habit that affects everything we do.
To see how wrong unthankfulnessis, consider a list of sins
Paul gave in Second Timothy.
(17:57):
He said, “For men will be lovers ofthemselves, lovers of money, boasters,
proud, blasphemers, disobedient toparents, unthankful, unholy” [Second
Timothy chapter three, verse two]. Paulput ingratitude in the midst of all
kinds of other sins. Notice also whatwe saw in Romans one verse 21, “Because
(18:20):
although they knew God, they did notglorify him as God, nor were thankful.”
What happened when the Gentilesin Romans one didn't acknowledge
God and give Him glory?
They became ungratefulfor what He gave them.
Once they developed thisattitude, they became prideful
and turned to all kinds of evil.
(18:40):
Ingratitude says a lot about a person'swhole life, and it says even more
about one's attitude toward God.
Number three.
Read the Bible often.
Nature tells us some basic things aboutGod, but the Bible tells us much more.
In the creation we learn about theGod of nature, and in the Bible we
learn more about the nature of God.
(19:00):
We learn about sin—what itis, and how we commit it.
We learn about God's displeasure with sin.
The Old Testament has many storiesthat teach us how God looks at sin.
He destroyed the world with theflood because of the evil of man.
He punished the Israelites manytimes because of their rebellion.
He sent his Son to pay the penaltyfor sin by dying on the cross.
(19:23):
Someday all of us will standbefore God in judgment to give an
account of the things we have done.
“So then each of us shall give accountof himself to God” [Romans 14 verse 12].
If we have not been forgiven ofour sins by the blood of Christ, we
will be in hell for all eternity.
Hell is a place of everlasting fireand everlasting punishment [Matthew
(19:45):
chapter 25, verses 41 and 46].
How can a loving God do this?
Because God is a God of justiceas well as a God of love.
He hates sin and loves righteousness.
Paul said, “Consider the goodness andseverity of God” [Romans 11, verse 22].
God is good, but He is also severe.
(20:08):
Do you see how believing in the God ofthe Bible shapes the way a person lives?
Believing in God and sin and the judgmentcreates a sense of fear and respect.
A person who believes that Godis displeased with sin will be
more likely to think twice aboutcommitting it and will also be more
likely to be sorry that he did.
Yes, the fear of God is a good thing.
(20:30):
Sometimes it is the strongestreason not to do wrong.
For instance, when Joseph was a youngman, he worked for a man named Potiphar.
Joseph was handsome and successful.
Potiphar's wife made advancestoward him numerous times.
Once she caught him by himselfand tried to seduce him.
Nobody was there but these two.
(20:52):
Joseph refused and left.
Why?
He could have thought, “Nobodywill find out.” But he didn't.
To him, the main thing was notwhether people knew, but the
fact that God would see him.
The question that guided him was (21:05):
“How then can I do this great wickedness and
sin against God” [Genesis 39 verse nine”.
It was his faith in Godthat kept him from sin.
It is faith in God thatwill keep you from sin.
Thank you for listeningto My God and My neighbor.
(21:25):
Stay connected with our podcast on ourwebsite and on Apple, Spotify, YouTube,
or wherever fine podcasts are distributed.
Tennessee Bible College, providingChristian education since 1975
in Cookeville, Tennessee, offersundergraduate and graduate programs.
Study at your level.
Aim higher and get in touch with us today.
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