Paul writes in Romans 1:18-19,
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them.
No Excuse
While man’s conscience ultimately knows that God is real, he suppresses the truth because he loves the darkness more than the light. The unbeliever shows no honor to God or gives Him praise (Romans 1:21). Sin affects the mind and darkens it to God’s truth, causing man to deny His Word and even God. This is what is known as the doctrine of the noetic effects of sin.
Yet, man is without excuse. God’s general revelation and common grace is bestowed upon all of mankind from the very creation we live in to the abilities we’ve been given to the mercy and patience shown on a fallen world. On the day of judgment, unbelievers will not be able to use the excuse of ignorance or the claim that God did not show them enough. Romans 1:20 reads, “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.”
Knows Some Truth
While the noetic effects of sin certainly affect our thinking, at the same time unbelievers can know true things. We can see this clearly in the areas of art, science and medicine, just to name a few. We can appreciate and benefit from the work of unbelievers when we undergo a serious medical procedure by a brilliant surgeon or go to a museum to see the works of Rembrandt. The reason they can know true things is because of God’s common grace given to them. They can even know true things about God, but will suppress them because of the noetic effects of sin on the mind.
In the area of psychology, the same principle applies. The psychologist can know true things because of God’s common grace. The psychologist can even know some true things about people in their counseling sessions with their patients. The problem is God and His Word are left out the solution since psychology is man-centered in its approach and its methodologies are built upon unbelieving man’s own understanding. Psychology will misdiagnose a patient’s problem and will offer up solutions that ultimately will not help the patient because they are based on secular methods.
Obviously, psychology does not lean on God’s Word for help in understanding why a person is acting the way he does, and so the nature of sin is never a consideration or an observation by the psychologist. We see the noetic effects of sin on the minds of psychologists as they suppress God’s truth in unrighteousness in an effort to leave Him completely out of the their patients’ lives and leave His Word out of their prescription. This is why secular psychology falls short when it comes to addressing the needs of believers and unbelievers as well. Believers need to hear what God’s Word says about the issues they face. Unbelievers need to hear the Gospel.
