Contrary to the assertions made by atheists and agnostics throughout the centuries, man cannot live without God. He may have a mortal existence without acknowledging God’s existence, but not without His presence. As the Creator, God is the origin of human life. Saying that man can exist without God is like saying a watch can exist without a watchmaker, or a story without an author. We owe our existence to God, who created us in His image (Genesis 1:27). Our existence is contingent upon God’s will, whether we acknowledge His existence or not. As the sustainer of the universe, God continuously keeps us alive (Psalms 104:10-32). He is the source of life itself (John 14:6).

The entire creation is sustained in existence by the power of Christ (Colossians 1:17). God even sustains those who reject Him: “For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike.” (Matthew 5:45)

To think that man can live without God is like thinking a sunflower can continue to live without light, or a rose without water. As Savior, God gives eternal life to those who believe. In Christ is life, which is the light of men (John 1:4). Jesus came so that we may have life “to the full” (John 10:10). All who trust in Him have the promise of eternal life with Him (John 3:15-16).

For man, true life is to know Christ (John 17:3). Without God, man only has physical life. God warned Adam and Eve that the day they would reject Him, they would “certainly die” (Genesis 2:17). We know they disobeyed, yet they did not physically die that day; they died spiritually. Something in them, the spiritual life they had known, communion with God, the freedom to rejoice in His presence, the innocence and purity of their souls, all of that was gone.

Adam, who had been created to live in intimacy with God, was condemned to lead a purely carnal existence. What God had taken from the dust to bring to glory would now return to dust. Just like Adam, man without God today still has an earthly existence. Such a person may seem happy, because there is joy and pleasure in this life; but these joys and pleasures cannot be fully enjoyed without a relationship with God. Some who reject God lead lives filled with pleasures and entertainments. Their carnal pursuits seem to provide them with a trouble-free and fulfilling existence.

The Bible affirms that there can be some enjoyment in sin (Hebrews 11:25). The problem is that it is only temporary, because life in this world is short (Psalms 90:3-12). Sooner or later, the hedonist, like the prodigal son in the parable, will realize that the pleasures of this world do not last (Luke 15:13-15). Yet not all who reject God are in pursuit of vain pleasures. Many unsaved people lead sober and disciplined lives, even happy and fulfilled lives.

The Bible sets forth moral principles that bring well-being to whoever applies them in this world: faithfulness, honesty, self-control, etc. But again, without God, man only enjoys the present world. Leading a sweet and peaceful life does not guarantee that we are ready for life after death. Consider, for example, the life of the rich farmer in Luke 12:16-21 and the discussion between Jesus and the rich (but very moral) young man in Matthew 19:16-23. Without God, man is unsatisfied, even during his mortal life. Man is not at peace with his neighbor because he is not at peace with himself, because he is not at peace with God. The pursuit of pleasure for pleasure’s sake is a sign of his inner unrest.

Throughout history, those who constantly sought more pleasures have found again and again that the temporary distractions of life only led them to deeper despair. It is very difficult to get rid of the lingering feeling that “something is wrong.” King Solomon himself indulged in a frantic pursuit of everything the world could offer him and described the result of his quest in the book of Ecclesiastes. Solomon discovered that knowledge is futile in itself (Ecclesiastes 1:12-18), as are pleasure and wealth (2:1-11), that materialism is folly (2:12-23), and that riches are vain (chapter 6). He concluded that life is a gift from God (3:12-13) and that the only wise way to live is to fear God: “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil” (12:13-14).

In other words, life is much more than its physical dimension alone. Jesus emphasizes this point by saying, “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4). It is not bread (physical), but the Word of God (spiritual), that keeps us alive. It is futile to seek within ourselves the solution to all our problems. Man finds life and fulfillment only in God. Without God, man’s destiny is hell. Man without God is spiritually dead: when his physical life ends, he is eternally separated from God.

In the story of the rich man and Lazarus told by Jesus (Luke 16:19-31), the rich man had lived a pleasant life, in luxury, but without thinking of God, while Lazarus, who suffered terribly, knew God. It was only after their respective deaths that the two men truly understood the crucial importance of the choices they had made throughout their lives. The rich man realized too late that life is not just about seeking wealth, while Lazarus was comforted in paradise.

For both men, the short duration of their earthly lives was nothing compared to the eternal destiny of their souls. Man is a unique creature. God has placed in our hearts the thought of eternity (Ecclesiastes 3:11), and this sense of an eternal destiny finds its fulfillment only in Him…

This text is an excerpt from the book “Glasses And Mirrors Of The Bible” written by Jérémie TCHINDEBE.

We invite you to read the following article “Seeing Things As God Sees“.