“Therefore
to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” James 4:17
Have you ever heard the
term "practical atheist”? This is a term used by some religious groups to
describe all those believers who technically believe in God, but who behave
immorally. The assumption is that moral behavior follows automatically from
genuine believing in God, thus immoral behavior is a consequence of not
genuinely believing. A believer who behaves immorally must be an atheist,
regardless of what he believes. Spiritually he believes in God. But
practically, he lives as if He doesn’t exist.
A practical atheist
disbelieves God as a matter of practice. Practical atheism is centered on the
idea that one disregards belief in God in day-to-day living but doesn't necessarily reject
the existence of God when it comes to professed beliefs. Thus a person might
profess faith in God, but in practice be closer to atheism.
For years, I believed
the church was filled with two types of people; those who believed in God and
those who didn’t. Our messages were aimed to reach both groups. We tried to
help those who already believed by deepening their faith as well as their
understanding of the Bible, and we tried to introduce those who did not believe
in the reality of God.
Over time, however, I
noticed an interesting phenomenon. Many of the people that I talked with
throughout my years in the ministry and through the natural course of life
regarded themselves as Christians. Very few professed to be atheists, or even
to have serious doubts about the existence of God. Everyone seemed to believe
in God, yet many of them didn’t attend church regularly or spend much time
seeking Him. They live in recognition that there is a God, yet see no
connection between their belief and how they go about their daily affairs. They
never consider or include God in their key decisions, or patterned their lives
after His values. Consequently, they believed in God but behaved as if He didn’t
exist. Practical Atheism is a dichotomy, a split between what we say and what
we do. Practical Atheism explains the chasm between what many people say they
believe and how they live their lives.
There is a very real
disconnect between many believers' beliefs and their behavior. I don’t think it
is an exaggeration to say that Practical Atheism has become the dominant form
of Christianity today. What’s more is that it has impaired our ability to
encounter God, to experience life change, and to engage in the calling He has
for our lives. Although the Church is the most educated, resourced, and
prominent Church in history, the phenomena of Practical Atheism have inoculated
us against a deeper, more vibrant expression of our faith.
Many Christians speak
of feeling disconnected from God and discouraged with life because they have
come to believe that it isn’t possible to genuinely experience God. Is
Practical Atheism something you’ve seen at work in your own life? If so, what
have you done to overcome it?
“The wrath of God is
revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by
their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is
plain to them because God has shown it to them. For His invisible attributes,
namely, His eternal power and divine nature, have been perceived, ever since
the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are
without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or
give thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish
hearts were darkened” (Romans 1:18-21). Most of us have read this
scripture before, I'm sure. And we're appalled that those atheists deny God's
existence when “His invisible attributes, namely, His eternal power and divine
nature, have been clearly perceived.” We know that beyond mere arguments
(apologetics), “what can be known about God is plain to them,
because God has shown it to them.” And so, if we're compassionate
people, we're concerned for them because the wrath of God is on them.
When I read this, there
is something that stands out to me, and it's not about "them". Paul
said that their failure to honor God had a specific symptom. They did not honor
Him as God ... or give thanks to Him. The hallmark of this "atheist"
is a lack of gratitude to God. And the reason it stands out is that
we often lack that particular quality. We are witnesses to His
eternal power and divine nature, and yet too often we are not nearly as
grateful as we should be. This is very wrong; this puts us, too often, in the
category of the practical atheist. We say I love God and we do, but there are
too many times that we live or feel or think or act as if He's not there, as if
all we have we managed to acquire, as if He owes us as if it's all about us.
Seventy-two percent of
Christians claim they have made a personal commitment to Jesus Christ, but only
17 percent feel that the local church is necessary for spiritual growth and
only one in three Christians believe God expects them to be holy. Jesus Christ
didn't just die on the cross so we can just say a prayer and live however we
want, I believe when it comes to prayer most Christians are superstitious
rather than believers in the supernatural.
Not too many people
will tell you, "I'm an atheist." At least not with their words. But
the lifestyles of many say otherwise. I know a lot of people who are living
their lives as if there were no God. They are what we call “practical
atheists.” They do not consider God. They leave Him out of their thinking,
their speech, their plans, and their activities.
Are you living like a
practical atheist, disregarding God's commands and precepts, relying on your
own wisdom, and refusing to believe in the goodness of God? Or is your belief
in God evident in your speech and your surrender to God's leading day by day?
Faith without works is dead faith, James would say. Don't let your life deny
your belief in God.
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