The Bible Doesn't Believe in Atheists
A Lack of Evidence?
It’s obvious that God exists. We know for certain that every sign has a sign maker, every book has an author, every program a programmer, every painting a painter, and every code a coder.
New furniture doesn’t happen by random chance after an explosion in Home Depot’s plywood section. We are all born knowing that God exists.
Unbelief is not a lack of evidence but a rebellious disposition set against God. And it plagues all mankind.
The Bible doesn’t believe in atheists. With Paul in the book of Romans, we can gather three ways that God has revealed His existence to us.
Creation
Romans 1:18-23 tells us that creation screams that God exists. Paul tells us that God’s existence is “plain” to see in creation because God has “shown it to them.”
His divinity and power are “clearly perceived” by looking at the creation of the world. And even those who reject God, Paul says that “they knew” God’s existence in the things that have been made.
All men therefore “are without excuse,” (Romans 1:20, ESV). Simply put: creation declares the glory of God (cf. Psalm 19:1). Atheism is unscientific and unreasonable because sin is unreasonable and irrational.
Atheism is not for lack of evidence, but for a lack of honoring and treasuring God. Instead of looking to Him, all men “by their unrighteousness suppress the truth” that God exists (Romans 1:18, ESV).
Like holding down a beach ball under the pool, by our sinful nature we all — prior to God’s sovereign grace — suppress the truth and exchange the glory of God for the lie of atheism (cf. Romans 1:22-25). The fool says there is no God (Psalm 14:1).
Conscience
Not only do we know our Creator God is powerful, eternal, and wise by looking at creation, God has also graciously revealed Himself to us by our conscience.
Conscience literally means with knowledge (con = with, science = knowledge). God has given us knowledge of Himself in our hearts.
Romans 2:14-16 tells us that those who don’t have God’s written revelation know by nature what God requires of them morally. Thieves may think stealing is right, but steal from them and an injustice has occurred!
We show our knowledge of morality best not by our actions but by our reactions. The conscience will “accuse or even excuse” according to God’s written law on the hearts of all men (Romans 2:15, ESV).
We all know that objective morality exists and that we have broken it. This written law on the heart of man is none other than the 10 Commandments.
We know God exists, that He is just, and that we are not. This is where our guilt comes from.
Christ
God’s Law of the 10 Commandments doesn’t save us, but shows us our sins. This is why the necessity of sinners hearing and believing upon the gospel is essential to conversion.
Paul writes in Romans 3:19 that we are all “under the law … accountable to God,” (ESV). And therefore, one of the uses of God’s law is to give us the “knowledge of sin” (3:20, ESV).
By doing and not doing what God requires of us morally will not and cannot make us right with God (Romans 3:20).
The coming of Christ is God’s final means of revelation in Romans 3:21-26. God the Father sent His Son into the world to fulfill God’s righteousness. Jesus Christ was and is the only righteous One.
By His living and dying, our sins are counted to Him and His righteousness is counted to us (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:21). So that in Christ, God must be just and the justifier of “the one who has faith in Jesus” (Romans 3:26, ESV).
By faith we receive the righteousness of Christ credited to us as our sins are credited to Him. Jesus rose from the dead to prove His authority and for us to show that God can justify those who have faith in Christ (cf. Romans 4:23-25).
Creation declares the truth of God. Conscience tells us the law of God. Christ is the glory of God. The goodness and mercy of God is found in the cross of Christ who was slain for sinners and raised for their rescue.
Repent and believe the gospel. God delights to save the worst of sinners for His name’s sake.
