Category: atheists

What’s the Bible Got to Do With Me? #6

Saturday, May 18, 2013

“The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever” (Isaiah 40:8 KJV).

One frequent charge the lost world levels against Christians preaching and teaching the Holy Bible is, “That ‘old’ book has nothing to do with me!” Is this a valid objection?

What is the greatest confirmation that the Holy Bible is relevant to the 21st century? When we Christians walk by faith in God’s Word to us—Paul’s epistles, Romans through Philemon—the doctrine will show itself to be the greatest life ever lived. The lost world will not like to see it, but it will literally be the life of Jesus Christ for all to see! They will see the Holy Scriptures manifested in your life, and they will be forced to admit the Bible is relevant… otherwise, it would not be on display in your life.

We have briefly analyzed the “‘old’ Bible is irrelevant” objection from four angles—the historical, the scientific, the literary, and the practical—and we briefly demonstrated that it is nothing more than the lame claim of the sinner easing his conscience and avoiding accountability to a holy, righteous God.

The Bible (1) is often used by secular works as a source of world history, (2) it is a wealth of scientific concepts and facts the mainstream scientific community has only discovered within the last few centuries, (3) its literary value (phraseology, rhythm, terminology, wisdom, majestic style) is unparalleled, seeing as to over 5500 manuscripts support its New Testament and thousands of manuscripts form the foundation for its Old Testament, and (4) its doctrine is used by millions of Christians as the basis for their worldview and lifestyle.

In closing this devotionals arc, and considering what we have discussed, the Bible rejecter is now left in an unenviable position—he can ignore the testimony of all these, thereby allowing himself to keep his anti-Bible worldview, or he can set aside his foolish pride and finally put his trust in that Book that literally takes an eternity to fully grasp…. After all, “the word of our God shall stand for ever.” 🙂

What’s the Bible Got to Do With Me? #1

Monday, May 13, 2013

“The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever” (Isaiah 40:8 KJV).

One frequent charge the lost world levels against Christians preaching and teaching the Holy Bible is, “That ‘old’ book has nothing to do with me!” Is this a valid objection?

Genesis 1:1, the Bible’s first complete thought, declares, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” Most people cannot get past that first verse, so they struggle to believe the next 31,000. Genesis 1:1 is such a simple verse, and yet it is much too difficult for many to believe. As one dear brother in Christ said, “The Bible is not hard to understand, the Bible is hard to believe!” If one were to believe Genesis 1:1 as is, he or she would have no problem believing God exists, and that He created heaven and earth for an intelligent purpose. These two basic facts would then imply that divinely-ordained laws and principles are in place, a methodical system to accomplish that original purpose of creation. But, sin disrupts this clear-cut scenario….

To avoid accountability, to ease one’s conscience, to blame-shift, and so on, the unbeliever simply ignores the testimony of creation’s existence as confirmation of an intelligent Creator (atheism), and/or he or she pleads ignorance regarding any knowledge of a personal relationship with that Creator (agnosticism). Either way, they discount the Holy Bible (which says there is an intelligent Creator God whose name is the Lord Jesus Christ, who wants us to intimately know Him).

Romans 1:21 summarizes: “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.” When one recognizes the God of the Bible as the one and only true God, but fails to worship Him, he or she is unthankful toward that God. The only result is an empty imagination and a darkened, foolish heart. It really is that simple.

Now that we know why arguments against the Bible are raised, we can proceed to analyze the common “the Bible has nothing to do with me” assertion….

Wilt Thou Love Instruction or Hate Reproof?

Saturday, January 12, 2013

“Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge: but he that hateth reproof is brutish” (Proverbs 12:1 KJV).

We can choose to either love instruction, or hate reproof.

No one person has the perfect answer to every issue in life. God’s Word, the Holy Bible, does not tell us specifics about how to handle every life matter. However, there is plenty of “instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16) contained therein, and it will literally take an eternity to soak it all in. Will we, by faith, submit to God’s instructions to us, or will we distance ourselves from the Being whose “understanding is infinite” (Psalm 147:5)?

As sons and daughters of Adam, we do not naturally “love instruction” (today’s Scripture). We want to do things our own way, in our own time, and at our own pace. “Me! Me! ME! You are not my boss! Do not tell me what to do! I will make my own decisions, no matter what the consequences are.” Such an attitude is “brutish” (today’s Scripture): it is uncivilized, senseless, and even animal-like. God has tolerated this for 6,000 years from billions of people—imagine the longsuffering of God for witnessing it for this long!

The Bible is one giant book of instruction, for it informs us regarding what God has done, is doing, and will do. It also demonstrates His mercy, wisdom, love, and grace. Alas, very few “love [that] instruction.” In fact, the Bible’s claims are often met with, “I do not believe in God; leave me alone!” “That Book has mistakes; it was written by man.” Such replies are “brutish.”

The Bible is one giant book of reproof, for it reprimands us concerning our fallen (sinful) state. It also provides information about God’s plan to restore us unto Himself through Jesus Christ. Alas, almost all “hate [that] reproof.” In fact, the Bible’s claims are often met with, “Oh no, not me! I am no sinner!” “I can get to heaven without Christ.” Again, such responses are “brutish.”

Let us cherish and believe God’s instructions to us—Paul’s epistles, Romans through Philemon. Let us not be brutish.

Do We All Worship the Same God? #3

Monday, November 5, 2012

“Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not: they have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not: they have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat” (Psalm 115:4-7 KJV).

Two common misconceptions are: (1) everyone worships the same God, and (2) everyone will eventually make it to heaven. Today’s Scripture answers both with a resounding “NO!”

Creation declares that there is a Creator God, His “eternal power and Godhead,” and we are all “without excuse” (Romans 1:20). We all know that God exists (however, we can choose to pretend He does not exist and ignore Him; verses 21-32).

Also, regardless of religion and/or denomination, we all commit sin, and we know that we will be held accountable to God for our unrighteousness. “Because he [God the Father] hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man [Jesus Christ] whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead” (Acts 17:31). “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). When the Apostle Paul spoke with Roman official Felix of this “judgment to come,” even pagan Felix “trembled” (Acts 24:25).

Each and every person is born with the general knowledge that there is a God, and that he or she has sins that offend Him. Those sins must be resolved. Thus, religion attracts mankind, who attempts to use religious performance (rites, rituals, ceremonies, prayers, et cetera) to make up for those sins.

Today’s Scripture describes the gods of the world religions as inanimate. They cannot speak, see, hear, smell, hold anything, or walk. How can they help us with our sins? They cannot! The Bible declares that in order to deal with our sins, we must rely on the Almighty God of the Bible, not the weakly idols of the world.

What Does God Want Me to Do? #7

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

“For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13 KJV).

Every person has an innate knowledge of the Creator God (Romans 1:17-23; Romans 2:14,15): those who deny His existence have a heart problem (a sinful heart; Jeremiah 17:9; Psalm 14:1; Psalm 53:1)! For those of us who are willing to submit to God’s authority, what exactly does God want us to do? God does exist; why do we?

People naturally seek purpose and meaning in life, but, sorrowfully, they usually never find them because they always look in the wrong places. Scientific analysis, although very interesting, is not the method whereby we learn our origin and our purpose. In order to learn God’s will, we need to look in the right place (the Bible!).

The Apostle Paul wrote, “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;” (Ephesians 5:15-18).

As people who have trusted in Christ Jesus alone as our personal Saviour, God’s Holy Spirit wants to fill us—not to give us a “charismatic high,” but rather to transform us from the inside out. God does not want us Christians living carelessly: “walk circumspectly [carefully, cautiously], not as fools, but as wise….” God wants to fill us Christians with His Spirit so He can be glorified in our church families (Ephesians 5:19-21), our marriages and families (Ephesians 5:22–6:4), and our workplace (Ephesians 6:5-9).

God’s will is to “strengthen [us] with might by his Spirit in the inner man [soul]; that Christ may dwell in [our] hearts by faith” (Ephesians 3:16,17). The indwelling Holy Spirit wants to strengthen us with sound doctrine so Christ can live His life in and through us (cf. Galatians 2:20)! This is “Christ dwelling in our hearts by faith,” and this is God “working in [us] both to will and to do of his good pleasure” (today’s Scripture).

Stand in Awe of the LORD

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

“Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him” (Psalm 33:8 KJV).

Who stands in awe of God today? Very few. For the past 2,000 years, our world has grown very comfortable in its sins. After all, in this the Dispensation of Grace, God is not imputing the world’s trespasses unto it (2 Corinthians 5:19). God’s attitude toward the whole world today, saved and lost, is “grace and peace” (the expression with which Paul began every epistle). Alas, rather than gratefully accepting God’s grace, man has taken advantage of God’s grace.

Ecclesiastes 8:11 explains man’s overall attitude toward God in the Dispensation of Grace: “Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.” Today, scoffers mock God and blaspheme His name, with no immediate judgment. They ridicule His Word and persecute His saints. Operating under the false impression they have gotten away with it, they sin even more.

Look at how harshly God dealt with rebellious people in time past (Noah’s contemporaries, Sodom and Gomorrah, et cetera). Today, God does not pour out His wrath and judgment. The day is coming however, when God’s wrath will be executed. Our world is headed for the Tribulation, “the day of the vengeance of our God” (Isaiah 61:2; cf. 2 Thessalonians 1:4-10).

We who have trusted the Lord Jesus Christ as our personal Saviour, we have submitted to God’s authority. We saints humbly stand in awe of God, our Creator, our Saviour, and our Head, awed by His grace, love, and mercy. We respect His power and authority. But, most of the world, lost and headed for hell, hates God.

Nevertheless, the day is speedily approaching when, “At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:10,11). In that day, ALL will be forced to kneel in awe of the LORD!

No Blood Indicates No Faith #2

Thursday, January 19, 2012

“By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh” (Hebrews 11:4 KJV).

God instructed Cain and Abel to bring blood sacrifices. However, only Abel obeyed God because he alone had faith. Cain lacked faith, so he completely ignored God’s Word. Cain wanted to do what Cain wanted to do. This is typical human nature, and it has not changed one wit. Man is naturally sinful in that he seeks autonomy—to be his own god and to do what he wants to do!

“Cain… was of that wicked one [Satan!]… his own works were evil, and his brother’s [Abel’s] righteous” (1 John 3:12). Now, Cain’s vegetation offering did not look evil—it was just “fruit of the ground” (Genesis 4:3). Yet, despite its innocent appearance, it was evil and God rejected it. How was it evil? God wanted blood sacrifices, not crops (Hebrews 12:24)! Cain displeased God because he had no faith (Hebrews 11:6).

Now, apply that scenario to today. Billions of church members are doing everything they can to work for heaven. Like Cain, they completely ignore God’s Word when it says their “good” works are actually “filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6) and “dung” (Philippians 4:8). They give faithfully, pray daily, attend church weekly, help the poor, clean the church building, sing in the choir, and so on. Sadly, this is vain activity, for God never commanded them to work for heaven!

In this the Dispensation of Grace, God is freely offering His grace, love, mercy, forgiveness, salvation, acceptance, fellowship, and righteousness in the Person of His Son Jesus Christ. “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him [Jesus Christ] that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness” (Romans 4:5).

Salvation is so simple, yet religion complicates it with our works. We sinners cannot work for salvation. The Bible says the only way to heaven, and everlasting salvation, is to trust in what Jesus Christ already did for you, not what you can do for Him.

No Thanks, God! #1

Monday, December 26, 2011

“Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?” (Romans 2:4 KJV).

As the Christmas Season wanes, unwanted gifts that cannot be refunded are being discarded. Imagine all the time, money, and energy spent purchasing those gifts for their ungrateful recipients. There is a worse tragedy! We, sinful humanity, deserve coal, the riches of God’s wrath (Romans 2:5,6,8,9); thankfully, we have been given the riches of God’s grace (Ephesians 1:7). Predictably, there are unappreciative individuals who have already eagerly tossed out something worth far more than material possessions—God’s grace.

A noted outspoken atheist, who recently “met his Maker,” described prayer as “meaningless.” During his last year alive, even while cancer-stricken, he had a hardened heart toward God. As far as I know, he died without Jesus Christ. That man, like billions of others before, beheld God’s grace, and haughtily declared, “No thanks! I do not need You, God!” Today’s Scripture describes the attitude of most people: “[They] despise [hate!] the riches of [God’s] goodness and forbearance and longsuffering.” Jesus Christ’s sacrifice for them and God’s love and grace are worthless to them.

In Israel’s program under the Mosaic Law, God utterly destroyed such people. But, for nearly 2,000 years, God’s wrath has been in abeyance. Today, in our Dispensation of Grace, God is “not imputing the world’s trespasses unto it” (2 Corinthians 5:18,19). That will change…

Once our Dispensation of Grace expires, during Daniel’s 70th week, the seven-year Tribulation, God will righteously judge this rebellious world in His wrath (Psalm 2:1-5; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-4; et al.). God will finally retaliate and take vengeance (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9). The antichrist will deceive those who “received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2 Thessalonians 2:10-12).

Do not toss away the gift of God’s grace and salvation through Jesus Christ. Accept that gift by faith and escape that wrath to come!

Systems Declare the Glory of the LORD

Monday, October 24, 2011

“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handiwork” (Psalm 19:1 KJV).

In science, a “system” is any part of the universe that we select for study. Systems can be as large as galaxies, planets, and moons, or as small as cells, mineral grains, and subatomic particles. Analyses of these systems reveal their extremely complex, highly organized nature. Thus, one who knows nothing about God or the Bible still understands an intelligent Creator exists (Romans 1:20). Anyone who refuses to believe in God has not only rejected the Bible’s testimony, but also visible, tangible scientific proof… trillions of systems!

The general consensus among scientists is that there was chaos during the formation of our universe, and that a coincidence process operating billions of years “magically” assembled everything into order. This is as ridiculous as any fairy tale used to lull children to sleep!

Consider the highly complex periodic table of elements. How can the structure of the 92 naturally occurring elements be so systematic that we can arrange them? Before man studied them to organize them into that diagram, Someone first had to predetermine their orderly structure.

Why is the human body symmetrical and equipped with a complex immune system? How can the planets and their 100 moons orbit the sun in such a highly complex array? How can organisms (“extremophiles”) thrive and reproduce in exceptionally arid, frigid, and boiling environments? Why does earth not freeze over completely or bake completely, annihilating the biosphere?

In today’s Scripture, we read of “the heavens declaring the glory of God.” Interestingly, verses 4 and 5 speak of God “setting [in the heavens] a tabernacle for the sun, which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race.” The very path that the sun travels to traverse Earth’s sky, or actually the Earth’s orbit around the sun, is another clear indication of God’s wisdom and another product of God’s imagination.

These are just a few of the many systems that declare the glory of the LORD Jesus Christ!

The Self-Righteous Unrighteous Made Righteous

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

“For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:6-8 KJV).

Religion—from the Latin “religio,” meaning “to bind anew”—is man’s futile attempt to make himself right with God. Mankind naively believes that his religious performance makes him “righteous,” in good standing before God. This is actually self-righteousness.

We cannot work for our salvation because we always break the simplest rules of God’s Word (one lie, one curse word, one evil thought, and so on). Our sin prevents us from reaching God’s standard of righteousness (“rightness”). Compared to church members, atheists seem evil. Little, sweet elderly ladies appear to be less sinful than prison inmates. While you appear less sinful than others, others appear less sinful than you! Still, we are all guilty sinners in God’s eyes and according to God’s standards.

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). “There is none righteous, no, no one” (Romans 3:10). We are not perfect. No matter what we do, our performance may exceed others’, but it will never be good enough for God.

Yet, today’s Scripture declares the wonderful news—before we lied, stole, coveted, and cursed, Jesus Christ died to save us wicked, unrighteous humans. The Lord Jesus Christ bore our sins on Calvary’s cross. He died to save us wretched humans because we all fell short of God’s glory. None of us could fulfill God’s righteous standards (the Ten Commandments, for instance).

God did not die for the righteous, but for the self-righteous unrighteous. Why? Only because He loves us, despite our evil deeds! Praise God that we can now inherit eternal life by trusting in the finished cross work of Jesus Christ. We can now be made “the righteousness of God in Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Through Christ’s cross work on Calvary, the self-righteous unrighteous are made righteous.