Folks, I have to share this with you as well about those "atheists" in that blog:
That Gary fella, and a woman who calls herself "Nan" in that blog, have both claimed they were once genuine believers and followers of Christianity. (That right there set off alarm bells in my mind...believers and followers of Christianity?)
My wife, all these years, firmly believed that true Christians could walk away from their faith and become atheists, based upon Paul's stating that it's impossible to put Christ to a second shame a second time. To her thinking, it was therefore possible to walk away from Christ into unbelief.
I reject that. I don't see that Paul had that in mind when He wrote about putting Christ to shame a second time.
My brothers and sisters, I attacked that in a conversation with her just this evening, a few moments ago, and she just changed her mind about it, admitting that I had a point, when in reality I think the word of God reveals this truth.
Here's the point that I made to Gary and Nan, and also to my wife when sharing with her that conversation with two alleged "atheists."
Anyone, and I mean anyone, who was ever TRULY born again, can never walk away from their faith in Christ, and therefore lay claim to not believing in His reality. They may become angry with God over the death of a loved one, but even have hate in their hearts for God, but never would they, in all honesty, lay claim to honestly believing He doesn't exist.
What do truly born again believers do, and have done throughout history? They have laid down their lives, willing to die, rather than to recant and lie to everyone by later claiming God doesn't exist after they had experiential life with God filling them with His presence. NO amount of assault from world views or anything else will ever turn them aside from what they know through experiential life in Christ Jesus.
Dare anyone who lived an experiential, light-filled life in Christ lay claim to being an atheist, and they know deep down they are lying, and are walking the path of sin to deny what they know deeply within their mind and soul is patently false. These people, claiming with such ease there is no God, they were never there. They were never born again. They may have tasted of the experiences of churchianity and religion, and even enjoyed the warm fuzzies of platitudinal sermons, but NEVER were they born again, having hearts of flesh placed with them by the living and glorious Lord of all.
John 10:28-29
28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any [man] pluck them out of my hand. 29 My Father, which gave [them] me, is greater than all; and no [man] is able to pluck [them] out of my Father's hand.
Now, some may argue that so-and-so's teenage child was a real, born again believer, evidenced by the child having been active in the church youth club, attended prayer meetings and Bible studies routinely, and yet who went off to university and came back an atheist...no. That doesn't work either. Youth having a zeal for something, strengthened by the friendships they forged in the youth groups and such, that's an entirely different experience.
Brothers and sisters, this should drive parents with young children, or any children for that matter, to think more deeply about what it means to be born again, and how to share the necessity for that life-changing event. It should drive us ALL to an understanding for the necessity to effectively share the Gospel by driving home the need to be born again, and how to find that experiential life in Christ. Only then will they see and understand their need to reach out to the Father, in Jesus' name, to be fully given over to the Son. Only THEN will they know, and have that assurance of life that no power in this universe can take from them. If they shy away from this, then they are not yet there. It's a level of commitment that will ensure their salvation beyond any doubts.
It's one thing call upon the name of Jesus with ones mouth, but to do that from the heart, from the depths of the soul, THAT is what distinguishes us in the Eyes of the One who sees the very depths of our souls.
Mark 11:23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
Matthew 21:21 Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this [which is done] to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.
These are only two examples of many about the necessity for true faith, without doubting. Youth have a horrid tendency to forever be drawn to the pleasures of this life, and letting their youth fool them into thinking that they have plenty of time to get serious about God. Oh, but how many found out too late that all of life hangs on such a thin thread.
Your thoughts?
MM