A Word To Atheists

Atheists love to point out how there does not seem to be a lot of necessary and crucial evidence for the existence of God. They put the burden of proof on us as if we are the ones who need to prove God’s existence.

We can provide startling evidence that’s compelling, but none that’s conclusive. Why? Because God has made it so that we live the Christian life by faith – “for we walk by faith and not by sight” (2 Cor. 5:7).

God is not opposed to reason, science, or proof for His existence. In fact, we’re told that “the heavens are declaring the glory of God and their expanse is declaring the work of His hand” (Psalm 19:1). We’re also told “that which is known about God is evident within them (conscience – internal evidence), for God had made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through that which has been made (creation – external evidence), so that they are without excuse” (Rom. 1:19-20).

What’s the problem then? Read on: For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles (vv. 21-23).

The problem is not a lack of physical evidence, but moral submission. The bottom line for the atheist is that he or she simply refuses to submit their lives to a higher authority that makes them accountable for their actions. They want to be the final authority when it comes to morality and their destiny.

This is why the Bible rightly concludes: “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, they have committed abominable deeds, and there is no one who does good” (Psalm 14:1).

“I am not going to repent from my sins. I am not going to submit my life to God. I am not going to acknowledge that I am accountable morally and spiritually to a higher Being. I am going to live my life the way I want and use science as my excuse.”

So we are told by the atheists, “God does not exist. You don’t have sound arguments. It’s all a sham. Prove to me from science and sound reason for the existence of God.”

But my dear atheist friends, we do not need to convince ourselves for the existence of God, we already know He exists. We live by faith. But it’s not a blind faith, but a reasonable faith, given to us by God as a gift (Eph. 2:8; Matt. 16:17). The burden of proof is on your shoulders. It’s for your sake, not ours.

You see, if we are wrong, then “nothingness” awaits us. However, if you are wrong, then you will stand before God to give an account of your life and then eternal hell fire awaits you. We got nothing to lose by believing in God. However, you have everything to lose for your unbelief.

Why don’t you start by doing the unthinkable and pray, “God, if you really do exist, then show me. I want to know. As of now I am not sure. I have doubts. I want to be sure. I do not want to be wrong when I die.”

Pray to God and see what happens. What do you have to lose except your pride?

Central Teachings of Biblical Christianity

What are the core teachings of biblical Christianity?  Using the acronym “doctrines,” let me lay them out:

D – Deity of Christ.

John 1:1: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word with God, and the Word was God.”  Jesus is the Word in that He is the exact and perfect communication of the Father to us (cf. Heb. 1:3; Col. 1:15). Jesus said that you will die in your sins if you do not believe that I am God (John 8:24).

O – Original Sin

Romans 5:12:  “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned.”

We are sinners not because we’ve sinned, but we sin because we’re sinners. “If we say we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8). Every person born into this world with the exception of Jesus because He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, has been and will be born a sinner.

C – Canon of Scripture

2 Timothy 3:16: “All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness.”  The Bible is the means God uses to save people (James 1:18, 21). God’s Word is sufficient to save people and sufficient to enable them to “grow in respect to salvation” (1 Peter 2:2).

T – Trinity

There is one God who exists and manifest Himself in three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. All three members of the Godhead are co-equal in power, wisdom, eternality and glory (Matt. 28:19; Eph. 4:4-6). Be careful when you use physical analogies to try to illustrate the Trinity. Remember, God said, “To whom [or what] will you liken Me, that I should be his equal” (Isa. 40:25)?

R – Resurrection

Jesus, after He was put to death on the cross, three days later resurrected and is now alive in heaven (John 11:25-26).   Paul said, “if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved” (Rom. 10:9).  Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection are core elements of the gospel (1 Cor. 15:3-4).  Add to this that Jesus’ resurrection was a bodily resurrection (Acts 1:9-11; 1 Tim. 2:5).

I – Incarnation

Jesus as God became a man.  He was incarnated.  He was born of a virgin, lived 33 plus years a sinless life, and then died, not for His sins, but for the sins of His people (John 1:14).  God the Father prepared a body for Jesus (Heb. 10:5) in the likeness of sinful flesh (Rom. 8:3).  The only way for Jesus to atone for the sins of His people was to die and He could not have died and shed His blood without having a body.  

N – New Creation

Everyone who is born of God will not remain the same, but from the inside out becomes a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17).  As a result, necessary fruit that gives evidence of repentance will become obvious to others (Matt. 3:8).

E – Eschatology

God controls the future and has promised to come again the second time (Rev. 22:12; Philip. 3:20-21) and to make all things new (Rev. 21:5).

S - Salvation

In order to be saved, one must come to Jesus and trust Him alone. Salvation is by grace through faith and not of any kind of works on man's part (Eph. 2:8-9). There is nothing we can do to merit one second of eternal life (Titus 3:5).

Something Is Not Right

The use of all spiritual gifts must and should be tested if it is perceived that something is not right. Satan is the great counterfeiter. He will do his best to distort what is genuine giving the fake appearance of credibility. But testing spiritual gifts is not the same as rejecting them.

For example, we know that Satan can counterfeit miracles. So some within Christendom simply reject miracles altogether and say it is not for this present dispensation. Satan can counterfeit tongues (the gift of praising God in known languages). However, some, rather than testing this gift using the Bible as a foundational tool, simply put tongues in the age of the apostles and say that the gift of tongues is no longer needed today. This also applies to the gift of healing. We know that Satan can and does counterfeit healing, providing lots of fake examples with the appearance of genuineness. So again, there are those who simply shift the gift to the times of Jesus and the apostles and say that miraculous healings are not for today, at least not in the way it was done in the early days of the first century.

Let’s take this logic and continue our application. We know Satan can counterfeit preaching and teaching (2 Pet. 2:1). He does so all the time. So, rather than testing a message, let’s simply do away with teaching and preaching and push back to the first century as the only viable solution for its intended use.

“Pastor Rich, don’t be silly. How can you even suggest that?” That’s my point. How can it be suggested that some of the gifts of the Holy Spirit which Satan can and does counterfeit, be pushed back to the first century and told that in our present dispensation, such gifts are no longer operative?

Hey, if we are going to be consistent, let’s go all the way!

Name It and Claim It - Wrong

Have you ever heard of the “name it and claim it” gospel? Those who preach and practice the “name it and claim it” gospel, believe that all you need to do is to name what you want and claim it to be so. Those who practice this style believe this is how Christians ought to live by faith.

Let me show you something. Go to Genesis 11. Remember the Tower of Babel? Verses 1-4 reads as follows:

Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. 2 As people moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there.

3 They said to each other, “Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. 4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”

Five times in verses 3-4, the words “let us,” “we,” and “ourselves” are used. They named it and then they claimed it. But God came down in verses 7-8 and confused their languages and scattered them abroad.

Now, go to the next chapter – Gen. 12. This is the call of Abraham. Verses 1-3, reads as follows:

The LORD had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.

2 “I will make you into a great nation,

and I will bless you;

I will make your name great,

and you will be a blessing.

3 I will bless those who bless you,

and whoever curses you I will curse;

and all peoples on earth

will be blessed through you.”

Six times in these verses, God says to Abraham, “I will.”

Folks, you want to know how to live by faith? You don’t do so by “naming it and claiming it,” instead, you wait until “God names it, and then you claim it.”

Do you see the difference? God first names it and then you by faith in God’s Word, claim it as His promise to you. The root of faith is rooted in the Word of God, that’s why it says in Gen. 12:1, “Now the Lord SAID to Abraham.” You see, “faith comes by hearing (from God) and hearing by the Word of Christ” (Rom. 10:17). Yes, there is a name it and claim it theology in the Bible. But it is not what we have been told -- you name it and then you claim it. That’s what the pagans did in Genesis 11 and God brought judgment upon them in the form of confusion and scattering. To live the faith of Abraham is to wait until to you hear from God first, and then, you claim it. And the way you hear from God is through the Word.

The father of faith for the Christians is Abraham. His method of living by faith is to allow God to first say it, and then you claim it.

The people at the Tower of Babel were also following their father – Satan. You know what he said that got him kicked out of heaven? Here it is – Isaiah 14:12-15:

How you have fallen from heaven,

morning star, son of the dawn!

You have been cast down to the earth,

you who once laid low the nations!

13 You said in your heart,

“I will ascend to the heavens;

I will raise my throne

above the stars of God;

I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,

on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon.

14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;

I will make myself like the Most High.”

15 But you are brought down to the realm of the dead,

to the depths of the pit.

Five times in verses 13-14, Lucifer said, “I will.” The same number of times the people of Babel named and claimed it. Satan named it and he claimed it. What became the result? Verse 15: “But you are brought down to the realm of the dead, to the depths of the pit.”

Now who do you want to follow as your example, Abraham, the father of faith in Genesis 12, or Lucifer the father of lies in Genesis 11 and Isaiah 14?

By the way, in Genesis 11:4, the people said, “let us make for ourselves a name.”

Can you name me one person among these at the Tower of Babel? Just give me the name of one person mentioned here. Exactly!

But Abraham is well known throughout the Old and New Testament.

You name it and claim it

Or

God names it and you claim it.

The Bible says that “without faith, it is impossible to please the Lord” (Heb. 11:6).

Now which method are you going to practice?