The Lutheran Hour
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"Who is the Fool?"
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Text: Proverbs 14:1
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PRAYER:
O Lord, Your way in Your Word — “The fool in his heart says, ‘There is no God.'” Almighty and everlasting God, with awe, we acknowledge Your existence. And with Your gift of faith, we receive Your gift of repentance. With joy, we receive Your forgiveness and mercy. O Lord, because You exist, we exist. Because Your Son Jesus died to pay for our sins, we are forgiven. Because Jesus rose again from the dead, through Your gift of faith, we, too, shall rise unto everlasting life. In Jesus’ name, we thank and praise You. Amen.
“The fool,” the Bible says, “has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.'” With this Bible passage in mind, consider carefully only two months ago the prestigious magazine, THE WORLD AND I, published a major article entitled “There Is No God.”
This eight-page article featured the person and the work of a Dr. Peter Atkins, a professor of science from Oxford University. Now in order to capture its readers’ attention, the magazine provocatively states Oxford Professor Atkins has found “not one jot of evidence for any creator.” This means, of course, Dr. Atkins is an outspoken atheist.
Now in order to give Dr. Atkins a hearing for his atheistic opinions, the magazine interviewed him. Let’s look at several questions in this interview. As we do, let’s also remember one of the great proverbs of the Bible: “The first to plead his case seems just until another comes and examines him.”
To begin, Dr. Atkins claims that when young people go off to the university and begin to think for themselves and study, especially science, these young people frequently reject the Christian faith. Well, maybe some young college students do reject the faith. But, for the most part, the facts state otherwise. For example, many young people who go to a university with little or no faith, return home with a strong and vibrant faith in the Bible and in the Lord Jesus Christ.
At the university, students frequently join Bible study groups or attend campus chapel. So when Dr. Atkins claims young people go to the university and begin thinking for themselves and reject the faith, well, the facts show he is wrong. Just the opposite is true.
A second thing this leading spokesman for atheism said is this: “Science is the only way to understand the physical nature of the world; and, furthermore,” he said, “there is no other aspect of the world.”
One is immediately led to the words of the Apostle Paul when he writes in 1 Corinthians, “Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to those who believe” (1 Corinthians 1:21-25).
Here the Apostle Paul is blunt and direct. No person, no matter how smart or intelligent, no person will ever come to know God as God Himself wants to be known. You see, all people of every nation can see the evidence of the Almighty God. The creation of God is often called the “footprints” of God. This means that God’s glorious creation is the clear and overwhelming evidence that God exists. One of the unexpected but compelling outcomes of all the space shots and the orbiting astronauts and the space walks is that a number of the astronauts, upon their return, told of the incredible impact their space experience had on their thinking and on their faith. These space scientists were often overpowered and overcome. They gave unsolicited testimonies to our glorious God and His creation. Some then became very active in the faith, and at least one attended a seminary.
But this also brings us full circle back to the issue the Apostle Paul raised. No one, not anyone, can know who God really is by merely being aware He exists. This was made crystal clear in an event that happened in California several years ago. A number of scientists gathered, including Nobel Prize winners, and after several days of discussion, many of the scientists agreed that God indeed exists. However, as the Wall Street Journal pointed out, these scientists had one problem. This is also the major problem of all people of every nation today. The ultimate question is not that God exists, but rather, how can a person “know” or “get connected” to this wonderful and gracious and merciful God.
In the Bible, in the Book of Hebrews, we read: “After He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways in these last days, God has spoken to us in His Son, Jesus.” According to God’s own testimony, He has willed to reveal Himself to us through His Son, Jesus Christ. More specifically, we can know God and how He feels toward us by looking at the bloody cross. When you see the bloody cross of Christ, you have clear evidence that God has not dealt with you as you deserve. Instead, in spite of your sins, God loves you and sent His Son to die in your place. God now wants you to return to Him through His gift of faith.
When it comes to religion, it is not always the avowed atheists one has to be most concerned about. Be very careful of the subtle deniers of the faith. They claim to respect or even promote the Christian faith when, in fact, they undermine and deny it. For example, last year US News and World Report magazine had a cover story title “The Triumph of Christianity.” In this article, the journalist stated Christ’s disciples were energized by the “belief” that Jesus rose from the dead. Many people, of course, if not “most” probably didn’t sense the heresy promoted in this article.
One pastor from Bangor, Maine, however, knew what was happening. In a letter to the editor, this pastor correctly pointed out that Christ’s disciples were not energized or not driven by their subjective “belief” that Jesus rose from the dead. These men were empowered, compelled, and energized by the fact that Jesus had been raised from the dead. This same pastor made these interesting observations. “Belief,” he said, “is surely important. But such belief does not start on its own. One might as well say because airplanes can fly; this has energized the air industry. This is a partially true statement. But it utterly fails to give credit where it truly belongs. It was the gas engine,” he said, “that energized the air industry. The risen Jesus Christ is the engine of the Christian belief and proclamation.” This is also why the Apostle Paul says, “If Jesus Christ was not raised, then we are still in our sin.” The fact is, Jesus was indeed raised from the dead on the third day, and now all who repent and trust in Christ’s saving power will also be raised unto eternal life.
This conviction of this New England pastor is a powerful echo of the rock solid proclamation the Apostle Paul made when he wrote to the Corinthian Christians.
St. Paul says, “Now, I make known to you brethren, the Gospel I preached to you which you also received in which also you stand, by which you are saved if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.” The Apostle also says, “For I delivered to you as of first importance, what I also received — that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures. He was buried and was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.” “And after that,” Paul says, “Jesus appeared to more than 500 brethren at one time.” The simple fact of history is: Jesus Christ was seen by many, many people after He rose from the dead. This is the clear historical evidence the Bible records. Jesus was crucified on the cross for your sins and He was raised again so on Judgment Day, you will be able to stand forgiven before your loving God!
Now back to atheism for a moment. For years, one of the leading spokesmen for atheism was the British philosopher Bertrand Russel. The New York Times has called Russel one of the 20th century’s most influential philosophers. In addition to meriting a Nobel Prize for his work in literature, Russel wrote such infamous books as “Why I am Not a Christian.”
For years “atheist” Russel was held in highest esteem as one all of civilization ought to pattern itself after. More recently, however, scholars have been digging into the private life of this atheistic philosopher. In a book titled “Bertran Russel,” a New York Times book review recently noted Russel’s professed love for humanity actually disguised a hatred for most people. Bertrand was a phony. In additional, Russel’s works are increasingly exposed as “willful shallowness,” “wild exaggerations,” “crass oversimplification,” “superficiality,” and “credulous nonsense.” Isn’t it amazing! What goes around, comes around? Russel, the atheist, is now “being exposed” for who he really was. Thus, we can agree with the Bible, “Only a fool in his heart would say, ‘There is no God.'”
Now, let’s be honest. Simply not being a militant atheist is not necessarily God-pleasing. For example, in a special article entitled “Redefining God,” the Wall Street Journal noted “Across the country, the faithful are redefining God. Dissatisfied with conventional images of an authoritarian or paternalistic deity, people are embracing quirky individualistic conceptions of our Lord to suit their own spiritual needs.” The article then goes on to point out that although a steady 90% of Americans continue to believe in God or say they do, the number of those who now reject the traditional and Biblical understanding of the Christian faith has more than doubled in the past 20 years. As a consequence of their thinking, the Wall Street Journal notes that rather than dwell on the risen Christ, one Chicago area pastor said that for his Easter sermon, he plans to compare God to a gardener in order to appease the growing “theological diversity” in our country and in our churches. “I don’t want anybody,” he said, “to feel left out.”
Well, to trivialize God is to deny God. And the Bible says “only a fool in his heart would say there is no God.”
So, don’t deny God openly and don’t deny Him subtly by trivializing Him. Instead, do like doubting Thomas did. Examine Jesus. Look at His wounds which are evidence He died to save you from your sins. Also see that Jesus is the Risen Christ! And then, with the saving faith that God now desires to give you as a gift, confess to Christ as Thomas did “My Lord and My God.”
O Lord, remove the scourge of atheism from our midst. Plant deeply, Lord, into the hearts of all listeners today Your gift of saving faith. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
LUTHERAN HOUR MAILBOX (Questions & Answers) for July 29, 2001 “Who is the Fool?” 68-47
ANNOUNCER: I’m Mark Eischer. With me in the studio is Dr. Wallace Schulz. The focus of today’s program was the Bible passage from the book of Proverbs which says: “The fool has said in his heart there is no God.” Dr. Schulz, are there a great many atheists in our society today?
SCHULZ: I don’t think so. Surveys and studies repeatedly show the number of people who actually try to deny the existence of God, is really very small.
ANNOUNCER: Why do you suppose this is such a small group?
SCHULZ: Well, I honestly think the evidence of a Creator or a Higher Power or Providence, as we sometimes say, is so overwhelming, it simply takes too much faith nowadays to be an atheist.
ANNOUNCER: That’s an interesting expression. It takes a lot of faith to be an atheist?
SCHULZ: I think that’s the way we have to put it. You see the atheists are trying to believe in something or convince themselves of something. That’s very difficult to believe. All evidence available to the man on the street goes against atheism.
ANNOUNCER: But are you saying then that most people are by default Christians?
SCHULZ: No, we’re not saying that. Again, as the Gallup poll and other studies show currently, the great majority of people claim to believe in some higher being or divine power or some spirituality or something.
ANNOUNCER: But that’s not the same thing as being a Christian?
SCHULZ: That’s right. You see, even though people in many countries believe in the existence of God, this does not mean they are connected to God. On the basis of the Bible, the Christian faith has always said that Jesus is the bridge or the connecting link between us and our Heavenly Father. And in the book of Acts, Chapter 4, we read, “There is no other name, no other name under Heaven given among men whereby we must be saved”. And this name, this connection, is Jesus.
ANNOUNCER: Now, Dr. Schulz, have you ever had the experience of discussing this with atheists?
SCHULZ: Well, over the years I’ve met a few, quite honestly.
ANNOUNCER: Did you find that a frustrating experience?
SCHULZ: Actually, Mark, I would have to say quite the opposite. The people I find most frustrating are those who claim to believe or be Christians, yet they know little or nothing of the Christian faith. These people are the ones living under the illusion, shall we say, they are something as a Christian when they really aren’t.
ANNOUNCER: What is the bottom line?
SCHULZ: Here, I think we have to be very honest and charitable. Just because a person is not an atheist does not mean they are Christian. And just because people have some kind of a religious feeling or claim some kind of spirituality, this does not mean they are Christian, either. To be a Christian means to first acknowledge before God that one has not lived the life God expects. This is called repentance. Repentance also means to turn away from unbelief and sin and turn unto the Lord Jesus Christ, believing the blood Christ shed on the cross has atoned for your sins. This is why, also, in many of the messages we broadcast, we point out repeatedly from the book of Isaiah that God the Father accepted the bloody death of his Son, Jesus as a worthy sacrifice to pay for the sins of the whole world.
ANNOUNCER: You’re saying, then, that without faith in this sacrifice for sins, there is no salvation?
SCHULZ: This is absolutely correct. You see, the Bible says without the shedding of the blood, there is no forgiveness. Finally, let me say to all of our listeners: It is often quite fruitless to be arguing about atheism, belief, unbelief, etc. The thing to focus on is the fact that God has revealed Himself to us in Jesus Christ and God, the psalmist says, is not treating us as we deserve. Instead, He is treating us with love and mercy by sending his Son Jesus to die on the bloody cross. And so, in all of this discussion, I think we need to hold high the cross. We need to point all our listeners to the very positive element of the Christian faith and remind everyone we are saved by the grace of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, and this very faith is itself a gift from God.
ANNOUNCER: Thank you, Dr. Schulz. With that, we come to the end of our broadcast for another week. Look for next week’s message titled, “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?”