Practical Atheism

Have you ever met an atheist?

An atheist believes that there is no God. Do you know what God’s response to that is?

“The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God’” (Ps. 14:1).

While no Christian would ever be guilty of being an atheist, many Christians are guilty of being practical atheists. Practical atheism does not believe there is no God… practical atheism lives as if there is no God. Could you be a practical atheist?

The Practical Atheism Test

Notice the convicting similarities between atheism and practical atheism:

1. An atheist does not pray. So many Christians do not really pray. They may mumble something with a bowed head before dinner or before bed, but there is no real time to seek God in prayer. The Lord says in the Book of James, “You do not have because you do not ask” (Jas. 4:2).

2. An atheist does not read the Bible. So many Christians do not read the Bible. The average Christian is very susceptible to the devil’s lies because he/she does not take time to read and study God’s Word.

3. An atheist walks by sight, not faith. So many Christians do the same thing. They fail to evaluate their situation in light of God’s miraculous power… so they worry and fear and fail to simply trust God. How quickly we forget, “Without faith it is IMPOSSIBLE to please God” (Heb. 11:6).

4. An atheist does not give to the Lord’s work. So many Christians do not either. Many Christians spend more money on their pets than they do the Kingdom of God. A recent statistic revealed that if all the members in an average-sized church were on welfare… and each one tithed… the giving to that church would double. WOW!

5. An atheist lives only for this life. So many Christians are guilty of the same. They store up their treasure on earth… they live and plan as if this life were the only one that mattered… and they make decisions with only earth in mind, not heaven. The Bible says, “The eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth” (Prov. 17:24).

Change Me, Lord

If some of those similarities are too close for comfort, don’t sink down in guilt and shame… DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! Confess it as sin, and ask God to change your heart. Tell Him that you do not want to live another day as if He were not alive and able to work miracles.

The story is told of Martin Luther, the great Christian reformer of the 1500’s. There was a time in his Christian life when he was very depressed for days on end. His wife, Kate, came into his study all dressed in black as if she were in mourning. Luther asked her what exactly she was mourning.

“Have you not heard? God is dead,” she stated.
Luther responded, “Woman! That is absurd! God is not dead!”
“Well,” she replied, “if God is not dead, then stop living like He is!”