Atheism Offers No Hope
On the front page of the Opinion page of the New York Times on May 31, 2019, there was an article by Amber Scorah titled: Surviving The Death Of My Son After The Death Of My Faith. It’s a heart-breaking story of a baby boy that died at only four months old. Amber Scorah doesn’t believe in God, so she has no hope. No hope of ever seeing her child again. She has no hope because she is an Atheist and Atheism offers no hope.
Sadly, Amber Scorah was raised as a Jehovah’s Witness. This is sad because Jehovah’s Witnesses are a cult. No wonder she left it. There is no hope in JW’s or any other cult. Any religion that has you trying to earn your salvation by your good works – whether Jehovah’s Witness, Mormonism, Hinduism, Buddhism or any other ism, will not save you. Salvation, joy and true hope are found in Jesus Christ alone.
Walked Away From False Religion
So this young mother walked away from her false religious faith and then her son died, unexpectedly. She was crushed. It makes no sense. From her atheistic worldview, she cannot find any comfort or solace. She has no hope and she will not find any outside of our Lord Jesus Christ. Atheism offers no hope and it never can. If we really came from nothing, we are randomly here and there’s nothing after we die, then life would be totally pointless.
For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied (or are most miserable) – 1 Corinthians 15:16-19. Without Jesus Christ, there is no hope.
Atheism offers no consolation when a good friend or a loved one dies. Those who die without Christ, have no hope. Atheism is a hopeless, false religion. (Yes, it is a religion no matter how much an atheist protests this label). You are born, you live, you die, then nothing. Absolutely futile. Atheism is absolutely a worthless false religion.
Christ Jesus Is The Only Hope Of Mankind
Not only does Christianity offer hope, Christ Jesus is the only hope of mankind. Adam and Eve sinned in the garden of Eden and we’ve all sinned since then. Each and every one of us. After the fall of mankind in the garden, God cursed man and cursed the earth.
Every single one of us are born to die. You had a birth date and you will have a death date. You cannot cheat death. Everyone dies. 10 out 10 people die. It is absolutely heart-breaking that the 4-month-old baby died. It is a horrible tragedy, but death is a reality in this sin-cursed world.
This mother that suffered this most unimaginable loss, has no hope outside of Christ. Her false religion of Atheism cannot save her. It cannot offer her any kind of hope. She has absolutely no hope. Unless she repents and surrenders her life to Jesus, she will never find peace, joy, hope or eternal life. Sadly, if she dies in her sins, she will find herself in the very Hell that she doesn’t believe exists. She won’t be alone. If you die in your sins, you too will find yourself in the torments of Hell.
Oh, but for those of us who have repented from our sins and put our trust in Jesus, we have hope. We have the hope of eternal life. Yes, we will be with Jesus forever. We will worship and praise our Lord and Savior for all eternity. We also know that every true believer that dies, will also go to Heaven. So not only do we have the hope of eternal life, we also have hope of seeing our friends and loved ones who have died, believing in the Lord Jesus.
King David Committed Adultery Then Murder
King David committed adultery with Uriah’s wife – Bathsheba and she became pregnant. Unlike today where women have an abortion to hide their illicit love affairs, they had a real problem. When King David and Bathsheba could no longer hide their sin, David had her husband killed in battle and then he married Bathsheba.
But the baby that was born from this adulterous affair, died. Listen to what happened: And the Lord afflicted the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David, and he became sick. David therefore sought God on behalf of the child. And David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground. And the elders of his house stood beside him, to raise him from the ground, but he would not, nor did he eat food with them.
On the seventh day the child died. And the servants of David were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they said, “Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spoke to him, and he did not listen to us. How then can we say to him the child is dead? He may do himself some harm.” But when David saw that his servants were whispering together, David understood that the child was dead. And David said to his servants, “Is the child dead?” They said, “He is dead.”
I Shall go To Him
Then David arose from the earth and washed and anointed himself and changed his clothes. And he went into the house of the Lord and worshiped. He then went to his own house. And when he asked, they set food before him, and he ate. Then his servants said to him, “What is this thing that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child while he was alive; but when the child died, you arose and ate food.”
He said, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, ‘Who knows whether the Lord will be gracious to me, that the child may live?’ But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.” (2 Samuel 12:15-23)
In the verses previous to these quoted here, David repented from his sins. Even though God forgives true believers, those who are truly followers of Jesus, there are still consequences for our sins. God forgives His children, those who repent and trust Jesus, but there are still consequences. But please note that David said “I shall go to him.”
Hope For Those Who Repent And Surrender To Jesus
There is hope in Jesus Christ. There is hope for those who repent and surrender their lives to Jesus. Not only hope in this life, but eternal hope. Christianity offers the only true hope for mankind because only Jesus saves. Atheism on the other hand, offers no hope. It only offers lies and deception, with absolutely zero hope.
Maybe you’re thinking, well this account is in the Old Testament. That is true, but listen to what Jesus says in the New Testament. Now when Jesus came (to Bethany), he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother.
Lord If You Had Been Here
So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”
Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world” (John 11:17-27).
Atheism offers no hope, but there is hope found in Jesus Christ and in Him alone. There is salvation in no one else. The Lord Jesus said that He is the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through Him (John 14:6). Jesus rose from the dead and He promises eternal life to all who repent and believe the Gospel.
Jesus also said that you must be born again. We all had a physical birth and we will have a physical death. But before you die, you must be born again, that is if you are to receive hope. If you are to receive eternal life.
You Must Be Born Again
The Lord said to Nicodemus: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit” (John 3:3-8).
Don’t continue going through life like the atheist mother whose little baby died. Don’t continue going through life trusting in the false religion of Atheism. Put your trust in Jesus Christ. There is hope in the Lord. Repent from your sins and surrender your life to Jesus and be saved. Receive eternal life. Receive hope, true hope, lasting hope. Atheism offers no hope, but there is hope in Jesus.
(This message was lifted up in downtown Springfield, MO on June 7, 2019)