According to the Bible- “God Wanted Me to be an Atheist”
According to the Bible- “God Wanted Me to Be an Atheist”
Starting off my new series, “According to the Bible”, strong with a take on God’s plan, “God wanted me to be an atheist.”
This series was inspired by my “10 Reasons People Have Turned Away from God (+How to respond to them)” post, where I went through an ex-Christian Reddit group and found their reasons as to why they are no longer Christians.
“According to the Bible” is pretty similar but takes points specifically from the Bible, such as the argument made with Gods plan and how this interacts with our life:
If you are a self-proclaimed atheist, according to the Bible, did God have that in store for you all along?
What Does the Bible Say?
“In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will.” (Ephesians 1:11 ESV)
The argument made with this verse is that if God is an all-powerful being who knows our plans, and our life goes according to His will, then those who turn away from God must still be fulfilling His plan.
Does God Know Our Plan?
Yes, He does know our plan.
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11 ESV)
He knows more about us than we know about ourselves. He knows us before we know ourselves. There is nothing about our lives that He does not know.
So What Does it Mean when We Disobey His Word?
The fact is, and will always be, that we alone fall short in the glory of God. This, of course, is without Jesus. But if He knows our plans, why is it that we fall short?
“Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.” (Proverbs 19:21)
As humans, we disobey His word because we believe our plan is best. We disregard what He has in store for us, which is a prosperous (not easy) life, for a life our flesh feels called to. Even if it’s just a moment of falling short, in that moment, we choose our own path, the path of our flesh.
A lot of people who claim not to be followers of Christ make the argument that if God knows our plan, then He must know we are going to sin. This is true. He knows we are going to sin before we even do. Then why does He allow it to happen?
The majority of those who follow Christ will give the answer of “free will”. That answer would be correct. God does not want His children to turn away from Him and His word, but the only reason we have sin in this world is not because of God or because He allows it; it is because we have the choice. Follow His plan, or our plan.
Now, I do think many people misunderstand “free-will,” and that is why there are some that believe verses like Ephesians 1:11 contradict it. God knows where we will end up, and the choices we make. He offers us the gift of redemption, and eternal life, but it is ultimately our choice to accept it, or reject it.
To add, sin isn’t inconsequential.
“If anyone is to be slain with the sword, with the sword must he be slain. Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints.” (Revelation 13:10 ESV)
When Jesus was captured, Paul pulled out his sword, ready to defend Jesus; however, Jesus rebuked this. He said that those who use a sword will therefore die by the sword. Although it is very true that the cost of our sin was paid by His death on the cross, this doesn’t mean sin: a) no longer exists and b) will serve you right because you only need to believe God exists. What does that mean?
The Truth
“For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.” (James 2:26 ESV)
As followers of Christ, we have to understand that while our faith has saved us from death, God knows our true hearts. If we live every day following sin, which just means ignoring His plan and following our own, then how can it be that we have faith? The definition of faith means to have complete trust in His power and will. Choosing sin means we believe our way is better, not God’s. Therefore, those who live in sin, see nothing wrong with it, and do not repent, do not have faith.
Your “works” are your devotion to not living in sin. We will fall short. But what we do when that happens is the foundation of our faith. Do you turn away from God, or do you run back to Him? So, while it is true that He knows we will fall short, that does not mean it’s acceptable to dwell in sin instead of the word. By choosing to be an atheist, you believe your path is better than God’s, which is disobeying His word.
Two things can be true at once. He knows we can and will sin, but does not endorse it. Sin separates us from God. We can not claim to know and love God if we commit acts that separate us from Him. God knew you were going to turn away from Him, but He never wanted that for you. The option for you to do so will be there, because the choice to love Him is one he wanted us to have the freedom to make. God’s plan for you is the only way you can be fulfilled. He wants that life for you.
So, according to the Bible, you can very well be an atheist, and God knows that is a choice you will make, but that is never going to be His will for you, for it is not a choice He made. You made that choice and ignored His. But the Lord is a merciful God, and the decision to come back to Him will continue to be there for us, despite trying to live in our own ways.