A Gallup poll taken in 1993 indicates that only about 4 percent of the world’s population are atheists. It appears that God is quite popular!

But in reality, far more than 4 percent of the people in the world behave as if there is no God. They don’t deny His existence with their lips, but they do in their hearts and lives. They are like the fools described in Psalm 14 who deliberately ignore God because they do not want to turn from their self-centered ways of living and obey Him instead.

This denial of God occurs today even among those who acknowledge the miraculous survival and growth of the church in countries where there has been terrible persecution. But instead of recognizing this as a strong reason to take God seriously, they reject the gospel and live by the values of the world.

The best way to avoid acting like an atheist is to practice godliness. We who know Christ must cultivate a deep gratitude to the Lord for His salvation and exemplify purity, honesty, and confidence in His goodness. As practicing Christians, we are to be salt and light in our world (Matt. 5:13-16). When we are, Jesus said we will lead others to “glorify [our] Father in heaven” (v.16).

  — Herbert Vander Lugt