This month, we’re in a series called ‘Christian Atheist: believing in God, but living as though He doesn’t exist.’ It’s sobering, to say the least. And, I think I’ve come up with the root of these issues…for me anyway. Read this passage from Romans 7 from the Message Bible:
What I don’t understand about myself is that I decide one way, but then I act another, doing things I absolutely despise. So if I can’t be trusted to figure out what is best for myself and then do it, it becomes obvious that God’s command is necessary.
But I need something more! For if I know the law but still can’t keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help! I realize that I don’t have what it takes. I can will it, but I can’t do it. I decide to do good, but I don’t really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don’t result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time.
It happens so regularly that it’s predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. I truly delight in God’s commands, but it’s pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge.
I’ve tried everything and nothing helps. I’m at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn’t that the real question?
The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different.
This is Paul writing. He’s the guy, who used to be Saul, who persecuted Christians in the early church. He had an amazing encounter with Jesus, was blind for a few days, got renamed to Paul, and then became one of the most outspoken followers of Jesus the world has ever known. His life was radically changed overnight. So much so, we’d probably consider him one of the most holy people in the Bible. But, you just read his assessment of himself. He isn’t very confident in his ability to do anything! However, the very last paragraph says it all. His entire confidence is in Jesus Christ. Paul can’t do anything right; Jesus, through Paul, is his only saving grace.
I started this blog out by saying that I have figured out why I am a Christian Atheist. Here goes: Paul is completely convinced that he is a wretched human being. He, in and of himself, is a waste of flesh. He is not good. He is not righteous. There is not one ounce of salvageable material in him, except Paul has surrendered to Christ.
Well, that’s where Paul and I are different. Sometimes, I forget that without Jesus I, too, am completely worthless. I begin to think that I know best about certain subjects, or that my way might be the right way, or surely God doesn’t look at this one tiny area of my life that is bad! ‘On the whole, God, I’m a good person!’ Who am I trying to convince anyway? Romans 3:10-11 says:
“There is no one righteous, not even one;
11there is no one who understands;
there is no one who seeks God.
Gulp. It seems that I am a Christian Atheist because there are times that I believe some parts don’t need a Savior…parts that don’t need Jesus. I delude myself into thinking that God is pleased with some portion of me. If that were so, the sacrifice Jesus provided on the cross would have been unnecessary. Now, that’s ridiculous! If the blood of the Father’s only begotten son was spilled, you can guarantee there was no other way!
So, what do I do about this? I do not want to be a Christian Atheist! Right here. Right now. I’m going to pray:
‘God, I come before you and admit that I am a Christian Atheist. I acknowledge that there are times that I believe I don’t need You. That there are times I believe that I have some righteousness of my own that would make You happy. I also acknowledge that I have trivialized the blood of Your Son and the great sacrifice He made in order to make me right with You. I humbly ask for Your forgiveness. I confess, out loud, that I need Jesus. Without Jesus, I cannot please You in any way. And, like Paul, I ask you to help me serve you with my whole heart and mind. I love you, Lord. Amen.’
But I need something more! For if I know the law but still can’t keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help! I realize that I don’t have what it takes. I can will it, but I can’t do it. I decide to do good, but I don’t really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don’t result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time.
It happens so regularly that it’s predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. I truly delight in God’s commands, but it’s pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge.
I’ve tried everything and nothing helps. I’m at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn’t that the real question?
The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different.
This is Paul writing. He’s the guy, who used to be Saul, who persecuted Christians in the early church. He had an amazing encounter with Jesus, was blind for a few days, got renamed to Paul, and then became one of the most outspoken followers of Jesus the world has ever known. His life was radically changed overnight. So much so, we’d probably consider him one of the most holy people in the Bible. But, you just read his assessment of himself. He isn’t very confident in his ability to do anything! However, the very last paragraph says it all. His entire confidence is in Jesus Christ. Paul can’t do anything right; Jesus, through Paul, is his only saving grace.
I started this blog out by saying that I have figured out why I am a Christian Atheist. Here goes: Paul is completely convinced that he is a wretched human being. He, in and of himself, is a waste of flesh. He is not good. He is not righteous. There is not one ounce of salvageable material in him, except Paul has surrendered to Christ.
Well, that’s where Paul and I are different. Sometimes, I forget that without Jesus I, too, am completely worthless. I begin to think that I know best about certain subjects, or that my way might be the right way, or surely God doesn’t look at this one tiny area of my life that is bad! ‘On the whole, God, I’m a good person!’ Who am I trying to convince anyway? Romans 3:10-11 says:
“There is no one righteous, not even one;
11there is no one who understands;
there is no one who seeks God.
Gulp. It seems that I am a Christian Atheist because there are times that I believe some parts don’t need a Savior…parts that don’t need Jesus. I delude myself into thinking that God is pleased with some portion of me. If that were so, the sacrifice Jesus provided on the cross would have been unnecessary. Now, that’s ridiculous! If the blood of the Father’s only begotten son was spilled, you can guarantee there was no other way!
So, what do I do about this? I do not want to be a Christian Atheist! Right here. Right now. I’m going to pray:
‘God, I come before you and admit that I am a Christian Atheist. I acknowledge that there are times that I believe I don’t need You. That there are times I believe that I have some righteousness of my own that would make You happy. I also acknowledge that I have trivialized the blood of Your Son and the great sacrifice He made in order to make me right with You. I humbly ask for Your forgiveness. I confess, out loud, that I need Jesus. Without Jesus, I cannot please You in any way. And, like Paul, I ask you to help me serve you with my whole heart and mind. I love you, Lord. Amen.’
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