Seen by God: Celebrated by the World
- Raymond Melendez
- Jan 17
- 8 min read
Updated: Jan 19
At TheGoodNewsCast.com, we believe that God judges the heart behind every deed and proclaim the good news that righteousness is received by faith in the finished work of Christ.
Scripture repeatedly tells us that Israel and her kings “did evil in the sight of the Lord.” The phrase is striking because it centers on what God saw. In 2 Kings, God's judgment is based on deeds observed. Though God alone knows the heart—its intentions, motives, and loyalties—God still judged according to what was visible. Proverbs 15 reminds us, “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.” What the kings practiced ultimately testified against them.
World history continues to reward human effort while often remaining silent on inner faith. For more than a century, the Nobel Prize has stood as one of the world’s highest honors, celebrating those whose discoveries and ideas have made a significant difference. Nobel honorees are frequently portrayed as models of intellect, perseverance, and moral character—proof that human reason and effort can reach extraordinary heights.
Yet a closer look at Nobel history reveals a sobering contrast. A significant number of its recipients openly identified as atheist, agnostic, or nonreligious. Their brilliance and contributions are undeniable, but their stories quietly challenge the assumption that intellectual excellence or cultural impact is evidence of righteousness. Like the kings of Israel, many upheld values admired by society, yet their ultimate allegiance lay elsewhere.
Together, these realities force an uncomfortable question: by whose standard are works truly measured? The world celebrates achievement, innovation, and impact. God, however, sees deeds in the light of the heart behind them. What is praised on earth is not always approved in heaven, and what is unseen by others is never hidden from God.
Brilliant Deeds, Broken Hearts
Scripture is unyielding in its diagnosis of the human condition. A deeper truth underlies every action and eloquent confession, and human effort or achievement cannot correct it.
“The imagination of the human heart is evil from its youth.” Genesis
God declares this truth in Genesis, and Jeremiah presses the point further: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” These verses explain why Israel was repeatedly humbled. The kings heard God’s words, witnessed the power, and occasionally reformed their behavior—but over time; their actions exposed a persistent rebellion rooted in the heart. Sacrifices could not cure inward corruption.
This biblical reality reveals why righteousness cannot be manufactured through law-keeping or moral consciousness. Israel’s downfall was a result of a corrupted will. Though they believed God’s words, their allegiance remained divided. Their works, measured over time, testified against them. God’s judgment was not harsh—it was accurate. God saw what no reform could conceal.
That same tension between outward excellence and the inner condition appears vividly in modern history. The Nobel Prize, often regarded as the highest recognition of human intellect and contribution, honors individuals whose work has made a significant difference in science, literature, and society. Nobel honorees are frequently portrayed as visionaries—proof that reason and creativity can reach remarkable heights.
Yet historical analysis reveals a deep truth: approximately 10.5 percent of Nobel Prize winners during the twentieth century identified as atheist, agnostic, or nonreligious (Shalev). While not a majority, this is a significant portion, especially given the global and cultural breadth of the awards. The pattern is particularly evident in literature, a field long influenced by skepticism, social critique, and resistance to institutional authority, including organized religion.
This pattern does not diminish the brilliance or influence of their work—but it does underscore a sobering truth. Extraordinary achievement is not evidence of a redeemed heart. Humanity is capable of producing beauty, insight, and innovation while remaining spiritually detached. Just as Israel’s kings could govern, build, and reform while resisting God, today's leaders can make a huge impact in the world while rejecting the Holy One.
The biblical witness and historical record converge on the same conclusion: the problem is not a lack of capability but a corrupted core. God does not judge humanity according to achievements or influence, but by the heart behind the work. What the world celebrates may still fall short of what God requires—because human effort cannot heal what is broken within.
Faith Credited, Defiance Celebrated
Scripture draws a sharp line between deeds and righteousness. Abraham was not declared righteous because his life was flawless, but because “he believed God” (Genesis 15:6). Righteousness, then, does not originate in human effort; it is credited by faith. Yet the Bible teaches that faith is not detached from works.
“Faith without works is dead.” James 2:26
Faith without works is dead, not because works are what save, but because faith naturally results in them. Works are not the root of righteousness; they are its fruit.
Israel’s history exposes how easily that order can be reversed. The nation proclaimed God’s words, yet anchored its confidence in works, rituals, and identity rather than in submission to God’s will. What appeared faithful on the surface proved hollow over time, because works detached from God's will could not sustain life. In the end, their actions revealed not living faith, but misplaced allegiance.
A striking modern parallel appears in the life and legacy of Dario Fo, the Italian playwright and performer awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1997. Fo openly identified as an atheist and became famous for his relentless critique of religious and political institutions, particularly the Catholic Church (Wikipedia, Dario Fo). Through ridicule and comedy, he sought to expose hypocrisy, corruption, and abuse of power. For Fo, laughter was not entertainment alone—it was a weapon, capable of dismantling fear and stripping authority.
When the Nobel Committee honored him, it praised his courage in “scourging authority” and standing with the marginalized. By the world’s standards, his works embodied moral bravery and social conscience. Yet Fo’s acclaim highlights a sobering distinction: powerful works do not require redeemed faith. One can challenge injustice, defend the oppressed, and make a huge impact on culture while remaining openly hostile to God.
Together, Scripture and history reveal the limits of deeds. Works can impress nations and earn global honors, but they cannot generate righteousness. Faith that does not produce works is dead—but works that do not flow from faith are insufficient. God credits righteousness through belief, while the world celebrates defiance through achievement. The difference lies not in what is done, but in what is lifted.
Righteousness Revealed
Jesus Christ enters world history not as an improvement on humanity, but as God’s answer to it. Where kings, prophets, and nations crumbled, Jesus' submission to the will of the Father did what no human effort could accomplish:
“Not my will, but thine, be done.” Luke 22:42
Scripture declares, “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth” (Romans 10:4). Salvation no longer rests on human effort or moral character but on believing in the one God chose to stand in the gap. This is why Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6).
To hear God’s word and “do it,” as Jesus taught in Luke 11:28, is not to add to God's grace, but to believe that his work alone is sufficient. Righteousness is not achieved; it is received. In Christ, God provides what humanity could never produce—the Father’s will.
Alongside this claim of self-sufficiency stands a powerful counter: science without faith. Some of the most influential scientific minds of the modern era have openly rejected religious belief while powerfully influencing humanity’s understanding of the universe. Steven Weinberg, awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1979, was not only a pioneer of particle physics but also one of the most vocal atheists in scientific discussions (Weinberg). He argued that as scientific explanations advance, the need for God recedes, insisting that meaning and understanding arise from reason alone.
Decades later, co-recipient of the 2017 Nobel Prize in Physics for the detection of gravitational waves, Kip Thorne, shared a similar perspective (Wikipedia, Kip Thorne). Thorne has spoken candidly about abandoning religious belief earlier in life, identifying as an atheist. His faith was replaced by an awe grounded in the vastness of space, the elegance of mathematics, and the experimental confirmation of Einstein’s theories. In his view, faith is redirected toward evidence and explanation.
The contrast is striking. Science offers profound insight into how the universe works, while Christ offers an answer to why humanity stands broken within it. Nobel honorees reveal how far the human mind can reach without faith; Jesus reveals how human effort was not enough. One path finds meaning in equations and discoveries; the other finds righteousness in grace.
In the end, the difference is not between ignorance and intelligence, but between trust in human reason and trust in God’s sacrifice. Science may explain the cosmos, but Christ redeems the heart. Humanity can measure the stars and still miss righteousness—unless it is found where God placed it: not in works, but in the chosen Son, Jesus Christ.
Beyond Achievement: Grace
Scripture consistently humbles human effort by placing salvation where it has always belonged—in the grace of God. The Book of Mormon affirms this truth with striking clarity:
“For we labor diligently… to persuade our children… to believe in Christ; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.” 2 Nephi 25
The phrase "after all we can do" does not elevate human effort; it exposes its limits. Even at our very best, salvation remains an unearned gift.
This is why those who believe in Christ are not judged by their deeds. Their standing before God rests entirely on Christ’s finished work:
“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1
God does not ignore sin but judges it fully in Christ. Faith transfers the weight of guilt from the believer to the Savior. When Jesus commands us to hear his words and “do them,” the act is a wholehearted trust in his sacrifice.
In a world captivated by kind words and good deeds, Scripture invites us to rest. In Christ, we are free and vindicated of wrongdoing in God's sight. Yet against this theological backdrop stands the wide and fascinating landscape of human achievement. The history of the Nobel Prize reveals a remarkable diversity of belief among its recipients. The presence of nonreligious Nobel honorees does not suggest superiority over faith, nor does it diminish the many deeply religious scientists and writers who have also received the honor.
Nobel history testifies that curiosity, ethical conviction, and imaginative power can flourish with or without religious belief. These achievements remind us that humanity’s greatest advances often emerge from the freedom to question deeply held assumptions—scientific, cultural, and even spiritual. The Nobel Prize does not reward faith; it recognizes human effort wherever the mind is free to explore.
Yet the Scriptures declare judgment on the final result of human effort. Grace is not detached from achievement; it transcends it. The world may honor significant achievements, but God's grace is secured in Jesus Christ alone. May every accomplishment and task honor Christ as sacred, pleasing, and acceptable to God.
Works Cited
Shalev, Baruch A. 100 Years of Nobel Prizes: Chemistry, Physics, and Medicine. Atlantic Publishers & Distributors, 2005. Data summarized in “List of nonreligious Nobel laureates,” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia, Wikimedia Foundation.
Weinberg, Steven. The First Three Minutes: A Modern View of the Origin of the Universe. Revised ed., Basic Books, 1993. Additionally quoted in Wonders of Physics blog, Wonders of Physics: A Blog About Physics, Astronomy and Science History, 2022, www.wondersofphysics.com/2022/11/5-quotes-by-steven-weinberg-on-religion.html. Accessed 17 Jan. 2026.
Wikipedia contributors. “Dario Fo.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, Wikimedia Foundation, last edited Jan. 2026, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dario_Fo. Accessed 17 Jan. 2026.
Wikipedia contributors. “Kip Thorne.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, Wikimedia Foundation, last edited Jan. 2026, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kip_Thorne. Accessed 17 Jan. 2026.
