There is an irony in atheism. The atheist must posit the existence of God in order to not believe. In other words, atheism does not exist without the assumption of someone or something to not believe in. The formal definition of an atheist is “a person who disbelieves or lacks belief in the existence of God or gods.” To disbelieve or lack belief, an atheist must disbelieve or lack belief in something. Atheism cannot stand on its own. Atheism always assumes the existence of a god or gods in order to be able to negate their existence. Atheism without God makes no sense. It only makes sense in relation to the possibility of God.
What does the atheist say? “ I don’t believe in God,” or “I don’t believe there is a God or gods.” He or she could say, “I believe there is nothing beyond this life,” which is a faith statement in itself, based perhaps upon personal experiences of the physical world, but not a statement of omniscience. In other words, he or she does not know everything in or about the universe, or experience the substructure of the material world, or know or understand the quantum nature of physical things. And if God is supernatural, as is claimed, then God is above nature and not material or measurable by human instruments. The atheist, by being bound to the material world, and only able to measure material things, cannot measure the supernatural; he can only deny its existence. He cannot know or prove that there is no supernatural reality; he can only assert it. But even the denial by a singular human doesn’t mean much, since that denial is an act of personal opinion or belief. And again, he is denying the existence of a Creator, Supernatural God, which he again assumes in order to deny its existence. In order to deny an object, you must first posit its existence or you don’t have anything to deny. In other words, atheism cannot exist in a vacuum. It can only exist if it presumes a God or gods to reject.
But let’s be honest. The atheist does not go around with any gusto denying the existence of Zeus or Thor. In the West, at least, the atheist primarily directs his anger at the belief in the Christian or Jewish God, and perhaps the god of Islam. And, in most cases, the reasons for the rejection of the idea of God is the perception of injustice in the world, the experience of suffering and evil, or the loss of a loved one to disease, murder, or accident. The questions raised by such things are “how can there be a good and loving God, if he allows such injustice to exist in the world? And “if he is all powerful, why doesn’t he stop it?” The conclusion is either God is not good or all powerful, or he doesn’t exist. These are deep questions that deserve extended answers, but they are not proofs of God’s non-existence. A short answer is that God made you in His image, which includes freedom. And being free, you have a choice how to live your live, and some people choose to do evil rather than good. Freedom is good in itself, but freedom has in it the potential for everyone to do wrong and make bad choices. That is essentially what happens in the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. God cannot stop you from doing evil without taking away your freedom, and if he takes away your freedom, you are no longer human.
But even deeper still is the fact that merely by asking these questions about evil in the world, it shows that everyone has an inward sense of right and wrong, justice and injustice. In other words, everyone has a sense of how the world should be, as opposed to how it is. That innate sense of justice speaks to a conscience, and that speaks to an inward reflection in the mind and heart of an ultimate order to the universe; an order that is good. By contrast, if all is mere accident, why should we be burdened by a sense of right and wrong in a universe that has no purpose? Would not justice and injustice be a fiction we have imposed upon the world? Accident, disease, murder, rape and death are all just equal outcomes to a world that has no ultimate purpose. Morals are a fiction of the mind, induced for self-preservation, not an external or objective standard by which we can measure right and wrong. The world is mere chaos and accident and it all ends for us in death, which equalizes everything. Whether we live long and happy lives or die by violence at a young age, the end is the same for all: nothing…. according to the atheist.
Humanist morals, then, are just a mask used to hide the emptiness of a proposed value system without any foundation in reality. Right and wrong mean nothing in a world of accident. Things just are. The human construct of morals over a chasm is just an attempt at self-interest and self protection, but nothing more than a delusion. In the end, might makes right; the survival of the fittest is evolution in action, the use of power and people to obtain goals, and treating fellow humans as cattle or expendable resources is the nature of the game. Sound familiar? Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Lenin, Nietzsche, and Machiavelli all endorsed such a view.
But if you have a conscience, and claim to be an atheist, and still value concepts of right and wrong, then you are listening to an inward beckoning of faith in an ultimate good, where justice reigns and wrongs are righted. That too is an assumption of the good, which in spite of all evidence in the world to the contrary, is an appeal to or at least a hope in the possibility of a good God. Do you have that hope within you?
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I agree with everything that you’ve stated here in this article. I’d like to offer one more possibility. Maybe the “god” that atheists are rejecting isn’t even the true God of the Bible. Due to the many false “gospels” being promoted out there, the god they claim to not believe in, we true Christ followers, would reject as well.
Yes. The authentic Jesus, who is both compassionate and righteous, loving the sinner but hating the sin is not often seen in us.
Then you must contend with the following scripture:
26 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; 27 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: 28 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. Acts 17:26-28
Even the Poet know… God is Lord over all. He sets Himself in a place where man must choose who they will serve. With the canal mind being default God tells us to choose the mind of Christ. Every Gentile is privileged to choose that mind. Every Gentile can do by nature the things contained in the law of God which shows God’s Spirit is still striving with man. It is also a testimony that He is drawing all men unto His Son for repentance and conversion.
All men are being reconciled by God in Christ. While this ministration is ongoing men’s trespasses are not being imputed to them. We know in the end the sins of the saints are placed upon Satan. If we do not choose Christ, we choose to bear our own sins — which will not be placed upon Satan but ourselves.
But right now every man has opportunities of a free man to choose God and come to God by way of Christ’s blood.
Disagree.
[1Co 2:13-14 KJV]
13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know [them], because they are spiritually discerned.
Yes, thanks for your reply. There is not one of us who come out of the world exercising the carnal mind, comprehending the things of the Spirit of God. It is only as we let the mind of Christ be in us, the mind that contains the mind of God, that we even desire God. We were all in Egypt once upon a time. We all sinned and come short of the glory of God, but as Christ enters the soul BY FAITH the door is opened to God. And all men have been given “the measure of faith.”
Consider the thief on the cross how he was reconciled to God at the last moment. God illumined his mind by the His Spirit — bearing witness in his conscience the things contained in the law that it may be made known to him, might draw him to Christ for repentance. For no man comes to Christ except the Father draw him (John 6:44). And no man cometh to God except by Christ (John 14:6). Of course the law of God is love. It is His righteousness in Christ for us to take for all men had become naked before God after Adam’s transgression. This explains why both Jew and Gentile “are both alike” to God — “there is no difference”. He is no respecters of persons. He that hath the Son hath life, but he that hath not the Son hath not life… And all will be “without excuse” for what God has done.
The holy spirit in the case of thief was making known his sin and at the same time drawing him to Christ, the Savior of the world. God, alone by His Holy Spirit, saved that Gentile in under 3 hours. He was called, for all are called and only chosen because he heard the great Shepard’s voice My sheep hear my voice…. Since the thief, like all gentiles and Jews, can do nothing of themselves, it was God in Christ reconciling him unto Himself.
It is not the impossible for man to know God, but it is while Christ is shut out of the conscience due to their love of iniquity. It is impossible for God to save that man, but while God strive will all men, not shutting out the sound that goes out to whole world, there is the possibility of salvation. 🙂
So I don’t know if I understood you correctly, but these are some thoughts 🙂
My point was that, until saved/born again, it is impossible to have a spiritual mind. A renewed spiritual mind is only given by God through the Holy Spirit upon salvation and not before.
The thief on the cross repented because he had become saved at the last instant of his life. That is why he could perceive Christ as Savior, yet the other thief could/did not. It was all done by God, nothing by him – he was of God’s elect. Only Christ’s sheep – His elect – can hear His voice and by that, they will follow Him, all others, not.
Yes, God’s elect but salvation is for both Jew and Gentile. If it were not, God could never hold a man guilty for unbelief in His Son, for He was given to all the world that they might be saved. The only people on the planet who will be condemned are those who did not believe on the name of the only begotten Son of God. Every man that comes into the world has been given light (John 1:9) and that light is Christ. He is the life and light of all men (John 1:4). It is because LIGHT has come into the world they are condemned. They are condemned because they loved darkness (iniquity) rather than light because their deeds were evil.
God chooses all who will by faith hear His voice. He is mercy and gracious and not willing that any Jew should perish. No, that’s not correct. He is not will that any soul/man/life should perish.
God has a plan and purpose for all men, but it is only in Christ Jesus. Anyone who is not in Christ Jesus will be consumed by God’s fire. He is man’s shelter from the wrath of God.
But I think the big picture here is that we find out whether Christ died for all men, and all men can be saved. What good is it if God gave every man the measure of faith, Light, and a conscience with the ability to do by nature the things contained in the law if they could not be saved?
Christ did not die for all men. It was never God’s intention nor desire that everyone become saved, but only those whom He chose from before the foundation of the world – they alone will be saved – it is all by God with no part of it by man. Did you read the end of the verses I provided previously? I’ll repost below now. Do you see the “neither can he know because they are spiritually discerned” part? That means, given as it is not within natural man’s power to understand things spiritual, he is totally unable to believe and to trust in Christ alone as Savior. And if natural man is incapable of doing even that much, then what else within their power remains to bring them salvation? In fact, in believing that someone can, even to the slightest degree do so, is a demonstration by that belief, that they remain under law and not under grace, because Christ, as Savior, solely and freely imparts salvation only by His grace (unto His elect) as a gift. It is not of nor by man.
[1Co 2:14 KJV] 14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know [them], because they are spiritually discerned.
Just to clarify my last post a little, I did not mean to imply that anyone becomes saved because of their faith or trust in Christ. Rather, that faith and trust in Christ comes with, and as a result of, their salvation.
What do you think about this verse in relation to the plan to save mankind:
Romans 5:18 Therefore as by the offence of one [judgment came] upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one [the free gift came] upon all men unto justification of life.
Remember, God foreknew all men before the foundation of the world. There is not one that He did not know. He has a plan and purpose for all men that they might be conformed into His image. If and when they are conformed, then they are restored into the image of God.
No man can comprehend with all saints (not even saints) except all those who God has brought Christ in by faith:
16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what [is] the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. 20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
Notice that no man can comprehend until Christ, who is the knowledge and wisdom of God, is brought into the heart by faith. He strengthens the inner man to have faith to bring Him into the heart 🙂
All are called, but few are chosen because some love darkness rather than light. This darkness separates them from God, who is in the light and dwells in the LIGHT.
Those who have committed the unpardonable sin can never comprehend, but all those who have light in them are fair game for reconciliation.
Now if you believe that Christ did not shed His blood for all men for reconciliation and give His life to save all men
Romans 5:10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
Then I have to conclude that you do not believe God gave the whole world Jesus Christ. What then do you say about John 3:16?
“Notice that no man can comprehend until Christ, who is the knowledge and wisdom of God, is brought into the heart by faith. He strengthens the inner man to have faith to bring Him into the heart 🙂”
It is not possible to come to faith if the true spiritual things of God are considered folly. Faith can only come as a byproduct of becoming saved, not before. And as with all things related to salvation, they are given only as gifts from God
[Gal 2:16 KJV] 16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
“No man can comprehend with all saints (not even saints) except all those who God has brought Christ in by faith:”
The faith that “brought Christ in” is Christ’s faith, not man’s.
[2Pe 1:1 KJV] 1 Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:
I do not believe God gave the whole word to Jesus that everyone might be saved. John 3:16 is speaking of the world to come, not this current world. Everyone saved, and only those saved, will inhabit the world to come. This world, along with the unsaved, are to be destroyed by God not saved. God loved the world to come so much that He gave His son so that it, and those to be its inhabitants, should have eternal life. Those who come to a true belief in Christ, do so only because God gave them that belief as a result of their salvation – it was not produced by/in/of/from themselves.
[Jhn 3:16 KJV] 16 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.
[Luk 18:30 KJV] 30 Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting.
[Jhn 6:29 KJV] 29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.