What does the Lord God say concerning Man?

They say, “How can God know?

   Is there knowledge in the Most High?”

Behold, these are the wicked;

   always at ease, they increase in riches.

Psalm 73:11-12 English Standard Version (ESV)

And again,

They hold fast to their evil purpose;

   they talk of laying snares secretly,

thinking, “Who can see them?”

Psalm 64:5 English Standard Version (ESV)

And again,

He says in his heart, “God has forgotten,

   he has hidden his face, he will never see it.”

Psalm 10:11 English Standard Version (ESV) 

And, yet again,

They kill the widow and the sojourner,

   and murder the fatherless;

and they say, “The Lord does not see;

   the God of Jacob does not perceive.”

Psalm 94:6-7 English Standard Version (ESV)

The common denominator of these observations is that Man thinks God neither sees nor knows their actions. But God does see and know,

No creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Hebrews 4:13 English Standard Version (ESV)

Not only does God see and know Man’s actions, but discerns their thoughts and intentions, too.

***

God says Man acts unwisely and imprudently, the definition of a fool.

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”

   They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds;

   there is none who does good.

The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man,

   to see if there are any who understand,

   who seek after God.

They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt;

   there is none who does good,

   not even one.

Psalm 14:1-3 English Standard Version (ESV)

John Calvin says to these verses,

The fool hath said …However much the world applauds these crafty and scoffing characters, who allow themselves to indulge to any extent in wickedness, yet the Holy Spirit condemns them as being fools; for there is no stupidity more brutish than forgetfulness of God. …They have overthrown all order, so that they no longer make any distinction between right and wrong, and have no regard for honesty, nor love of humanity…

They speak in their heart. …They may not plainly deny the existence of a God, but they imagine him to be shut up in heaven and divested of his righteousness and power; …When God is dragged from his throne, and divested of his character as judge, impiety has come to its utmost height; and, therefore, we must conclude that …those who give themselves liberty to commit all manner of wickedness, in the flattering hope of escaping with impunity, deny in their heart that there is a God…

And,

Jehovah looked down from heaven. …Would to God that this manner of speaking had the effect of teaching us to summon ourselves before his [judgment seat]; and that, while the world are flattering themselves, and the reprobate are trying to bury their sins in forgetfulness by their want of thought, hypocrisy, or shamelessness, and are blinded in their obstinacy as if they were intoxicated, we might be led to shake off all indifference and stupidity by reflecting on this truth, that God, notwithstanding, looks down from his high throne in heaven, and beholds what is going on here below!

To see if there were any that did understand …The commencement of integrity and uprightness of life consists in an enlightened and sound mind. But …the greater part [of humanity] misapply their intellectual powers to deceitful purposes. …True understanding …consists in seeking after God. …Unless men devote themselves wholly to God, their life cannot be well ordered. …The reprobate are utterly destitute of all reason and judgment.

Every one of them has gone aside. …All men are so carried away by their capricious lusts, that nothing is to be found either of purity or integrity in their whole life. This, therefore, is defection so complete, that it extinguishes all godliness. …All of us, when we are born, bring with us from our mother’s womb this folly and filthiness manifested in the whole life …and we continue such until God makes us new creatures by his mysterious [unmerited favor].

***

But there will be a reckoning for everyone, or as Spurgeon said, a Great Assize:

Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; for it is written,

   “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,

    and every tongue shall confess to God.”

So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.

Romans 14:10-12 English Standard Version (ESV)

The Psychology of Atheism, April 29, 2020, 2:17 minutes, YouTube, Ligonier Ministries