On Faith

I have somewhat of an unusual post tonight, and it's one I should have already written at some point, but haven't for whatever reason. It's about atheists. I've had quite a bit of dealings with atheists through the years, and there are some consistent observations that I've made about people who claim to not believe there is a God. First of all I don't think I've ever met a real atheist. Secondly I don't think I will meet one in the future. That's what I'm talking about. With almost every atheist I've met I have seen the same thing. They all have something in their past where they feel that God gave them the short end of the stick. They got a bad break somewhere along the line, and they're angry with God about it, and they'll prove their anger by not believing in him. If you talk to an atheist for long you will see that they actually believe there's a God, but they just don't like the way that they feel he has treated them or someone else. I'm well aware of the fact that the scripture says the following: "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God" (Psm. 14:1). So does that mean that someone can truly with all of their being believe that there isn't a God, the way I believe with all of my being that there is? No, it just means they can tell themselves whatever they choose. We can do a whole lot of things with our mind, but when it's all said and done the conscience is what it is, and the only thing you can do with it is shut it out with the mind. What I'm saying is that there isn't an atheist conscience in the history of the world. Can't be in fact. The conscience was designed by God to reflect his reality and his will for the way we should live. And one of the ways we should live is to have faith in God, and worship him in faith.

So an atheist blocks out the conscience with their mind, but they have to continue to do it constantly, and that really isn't much fun. Also it takes more to 'sear their conscience with a hot iron' than one would think (I Tim. 4:2). God is just that gracious and merciful. There have been some people who have lived in some really horrific ways for many years, and have done some very cruel things to other people, who still end up being redeemed. That is possible only because it takes a whole lot to eliminate one's conscience. The conscience KNOWS there is a God, and it reminds the staunchest of atheists of that reality continually. I always say to people who tell me that they are atheists, 'Your conscience is not an atheist.' I haven't been answered on that one by a single atheist. Why? Because I'm hitting them right in the bulls eye, and they know as well as I do that it's true. No, most of them are just teed off at God for something, and they are going to 'show him' by not believing in him. That brings me to this point. The whole atheist argument is dead in the water from the very outset because of one glaring fact that cannot be escaped. If someone doesn't believe in God that means there is a God to not believe in. Otherwise why is there a 'God' issue at all? Yeah. If there isn't a God, then there is no supposed atheist position to begin with. Tell me something about one thing that does not exist. You can't do it. Oh, you can put a bunch of stuff that does exist, together, and come up with some fantasy thing that doesn't really exist. But the problem there is that every single element of that fantasy thing that doesn't exist is made up of things that do exist. So like I said, you can't do it.

So it's back to square one, meaning that we cannot talk about things that do not exist because it is impossible for things that do not exist to be known of TO TALK ABOUT! See what I mean? Why is there a God issue to begin with, including with atheists? Duh. Yeah, duh. The apostle Paul addressed that issue this way: "For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse" (Rom. 1:20). The entire creation, known and unknown, in one way or another is created in the image of God and his heavenly kingdom. So all of mankind is as Paul said, "without excuse," because everything that we are in contact with in every way is speaking about the God who made it. The human conscience simply cannot escape that reality, so anyone who refuses to acknowledge God for being God, is simply "without excuse." If it were possible to NOT realize there is a God then we could have an excuse, but it isn't possible. It is also impossible to not know that the God that is, has to be good. The apostle Paul again gave us the lowdown on that: "And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein: Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways. Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness" (Acts 14:15-17).

I mean, come on guys. The air we breathe is good for us, and in fact we need it. At least it's just what we need unless man has polluted it, but that's on mankind, not God. He made it right for us. In fact he made everything right for us, and the conscience simply has to know that, regardless of some people's repeated effort to block it out of their mind. So it is certain that God is altogether good. But then I've seen the atheists that 'hate God because 'he's a monster that kills innocent children all over the world,' and does so many other kinds of horrific things. Well there's two things going on with that kind of argument. First of all they definitely have God mixed up with the devil, which is very common on many levels, including some fairly high levels of faith. But secondly they are once again all over the God issue, being intent to make him some overpowering monster of unprovoked wrath. Nonetheless there they are again, acknowledging God while trying disprove that he is. Then there is the real issue at hand with all of mankind, and that is the 'Jesus' issue. Oh yeah. Just believing that there is a God is not enough to redeem anyone from sin, or to give eternal life to anyone. The apostle Paul again gave us the straight up answer on that issue: " For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, To The Unknown God. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things...

And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device. And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead" (Acts 17:23-31). Wow! What a mouthful of wisdom and faith! What Paul is saying there is that we will all be judged according to our faith in Jesus, and honoring of his suffering, death, and resurrection; or our lack thereof. Why? Because the following famous passage of scripture just happens to be true: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life... He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God" (Jn. 3:16,18).

Unlike it is with the God issue, the Jesus issue is not just automatically ingrained into the conscience of every human being, like it is with God. In order for us to be accountable for believing or disbelieving Jesus, we have to hear about him. The scripture also confirms this for us: "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?" (Rom. 10:14) So actually someone could have excuse with failing to believe on Jesus, that excuse being that they have truly never heard about him. Does that mean that the proverbial man on the desert island' who has never heard about Jesus, could be saved? Of course it does. If he hasn't heard and didn't know, then like the scripture says; "How can they believe in him of whom they have not heard?" God is not unjust, and he doesn't hold someone responsible for something they don't know about, unless they have just chosen not to know about it because they don't want to be accountable. Yet 'the man on the desert island' would still have to believe there is a God, and he would have to be in agreement with his conscience about how to live his life, and the scriptures again say the same: "For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another" (Rom. 2:14,15).

The fact is that there are still many who actually have not heard about Jesus, that he died in their place at Calvary, and that he rose from the dead to empower them with his life, and his peace, and his love. The way I can be assured of that fact was in fact confirmed by Jesus himself: "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come" (Mat. 24:14). Well, the end has not yet come, so that means that there's still a lot of Gospel to be preached in the world, because a lot of people have not yet heard. But trust me when I tell you that God is going to close this age in such a way that no one will be left unaccountable for believing on his Son and honoring him for the price he paid to redeem us from sin, and for keeping themselves redeemed. The failure to honor and believe wholly on Jesus for what he has done for us can only result in one thing, and as Jesus said himself, that one thing is to perish in a condemned state. So really, the whole atheism thing just needs to get over itself, and get real about God, and about his Son. I haven't mentioned the fact that there is such a thing as basically extinguishing one's conscience from one's consciousness. Actually the conscience can't be eliminated or extinguished from existence, but with enough willful damage to it over an extended period of time it can be so waxed over and blocked out that it will for the most part stop functioning. But dear God, why would anyone go to that much effort to put themselves in that kind of a state? Honestly, living in nothing but turmoil, and then going to the fiery torment of hell, just isn't worth it. It really isn't. Especially when we can have joy and peace now, and forever as well. Amen.