Do Atheists Need A New Name?
Do Atheists need a new name? I run into people all the time who claim that they are atheists and they vehemently say, “God is not real” or “there is no God.” They are very adamant in their stance. Atheists do not believe that God exists. The original meaning in the Greek is without God. But atheists aren’t neutral to this God they say doesn’t exist. No they are very much opposed to the great Creator God. The One who is all-knowing, all-powerful and ever present. Since they hate the One True God, do atheists need a new name?
Since most atheists actually hate the very God they say doesn’t exist, they really need a new name that reflects their animosity toward God. They need a new name that reflects that they are anti-theist, anti-God. By opposing the real God, the Creator God, the God who made them in His own image, the God who allows them to breathe His air, live on His planet and eat the food that He allows to grow, they aren’t just merely without God, they are anti-God.
Besides, from all that I just mentioned, atheists aren’t without God, no, He allows them to believe in their own delusion. God allows them to mock Him, for the moment. But God will not be mocked. Whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap. Atheists aren’t without God, they are just against Him. If this describes you, then you are opposed to God. Atheists, you are firmly against Him. You rebel against Him and you have no desire to submit to the great Creator God, let alone to His only begotten Son – Jesus Christ.
Should Atheists Come Up With A Different Name?
Do atheists need a new name? If they wanted to state exactly what they claim, their opposition to almighty God, then they would come up with a different name. Even they know they aren’t without God, they are opposed to God. They generally can’t hide their hatred toward the Lord. Here’s a sample of a typical encounter with an atheist while I’m open-air preaching. I’m sharing the Gospel and the atheist will come up and say “There is no God.” To which I reply, yes there is. Just like you can see that building in front of us and know someone built it, you also know someone made the clothes on your back. You can look around at creation and know that there is a Creator.
For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse (Romans 1:20).
To which the atheist generally replies, “no, I believe in science and evolution.” Then I say, “Evolution is a lie, but I also believe in science. The Bible is full of science.” Then the atheist typically says something about why is there so much evil in the world if God is real? My response is that we are evil – men and women. God’s not evil, we are. Adam and Eve sinned in the garden of Eden and we’ve all sinned since then.
God Is To Blame For Starving Children
Next the atheist will blame God for all the starving children in the world. I reply that God isn’t allowing the children to starve, mankind is. Then I ask them if they support a starving child? Invariably they say no. To which I reply that my wife and I do support a girl in Uganda. You can’t feed everyone, but you can feed one child. We support an organization called Watoto.
Then I call them out on the fact that they started out saying God’s not real and end up blaming God for evil, blaming Him for children starving around the world. I typically point out that they can’t have it both ways – you can’t have “no God” and “God is responsible for starving kids.” But most atheists really do progress in some manner like this. So, do atheists need a new name? Yes, they do. Atheists are not without God, they hate Him and usually they can’t hide their contempt toward God. Atheists are anti-theist. They are anti-God.
You see, they aren’t neutral to God. They really do hate the very God that they say doesn’t exist. Again, this makes no sense. For example, I hear frequently at Missouri State University “God’s not real” or “There is no God.” But many of these students get really angry over what they call a myth. Why would you get angry over a myth? If I were standing there touting how wonderful Santa Claus is and how he’s married to Mrs. Claus and lives at the North Pole, they wouldn’t get fighting mad over it. They would laugh themselves silly.
Why Does God Make Atheists Angry?
The students would say “that guy is off his rocker.” “He’s looney.” They wouldn’t become angry with me. No, in fact they might even feel sorry for me. So why do they get so angry over preaching about Jesus Christ as Lord and that every knee will bow and tongue will confess the Lord Jesus? Because they know God is real. God has written His law upon their hearts (Romans 2:15). They know right from wrong because they have a God-given conscience (Romans 2:15). Atheists don’t need a new name, they are appropriately named. They really do hate God, the very God that they deny exists.
But they know God is real, even though they don’t want to admit it. They don’t want to acknowledge the great Creator God. Atheists don’t want to be confronted with His Holiness and their sinfulness. They want to go on sinning in peace, with no guilt. No future punishment to worry about. No eternal consequences for their sins.
But no matter how much they wish God didn’t exist, that doesn’t change the fact that God is real. God is Holy and He is righteous and just. Yes, God must punish sin if He truly is all-powerful, all-knowing and ever present. God must punish sin or He wouldn’t be God. But He is God, you and I are not. You may not like the fact that you are accountable to an all-powerful being who creates each and every one of us, but you are accountable to Him.
Day Of Judgment
We are accountable and there is judgment to come. But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men (2 Peter 3:7). All God-haters, mockers and scoffers will give an account in the day of judgment. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil (Ecclesiastes 12:14). Jesus said: But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment (Matthew 12:36).
There is judgment to come and atheists along with all others who rebelled against God and rejected Jesus will give an account in that day of every idle word that they’ve spoken. Think about it. Not only will atheists give an account for every idle word, but also for every evil word they’ve spoken against almighty God and Jesus Christ the Son of the living God. Every blasphemous word, every curse word, every time they’ve hated God in their heart while claiming He wasn’t real.
Oh, there is judgment to come and there is Hell to pay and Hell you will pay. Everlasting torment for your God hating ways. Jesus talked about Hell more than anyone else in the Bible. He described it as a place where there is wailing and gnashing of teeth. Where the worm dies not and the fire is never quenched. Where the rich man died, buried and in Hell, lifted up his eyes in torments and begged for a drop of water.
God Will Not Be Mocked
Yes, God allows all atheists to mock Him at the moment, but make no mistake, God will not be mocked. God will not be mocked at the judgment. All God hating atheists are just storing up more wrath against the day of wrath. In other words, your eternal punishment will be far worse than the person who prayed vaguely their whole life to a general god, but not the God of the Bible. Your utter contempt and hatred toward God will be punished more severely than others.
There really are no atheists. You can look around at creation and know that God is real. But atheists suppress the truth in unrighteousness. They love the darkness rather than the light because their deeds are evil. There are no atheists because in order to truly be an atheist and know for certainty that there is no God, then you would have to obtain all knowledge. Not just some knowledge, but all knowledge. None of us have all knowledge. So there really are no atheists, that all of you who profess to be atheists are really agnostics. None of us obtain all knowledge and that’s why I personally look to the one who does have all knowledge – to God Himself and to Jesus Christ whom He sent to save me from my sins.
But I understand that atheists really do need a new name. Atheists don’t really believe there is no God, they truly are anti-God. You are anti-theist, you are anti-God. You are against your Creator. Atheists need a new name that describes their animosity toward God, not that God does not exist. What atheists are really saying is the same things many of the Jews said when Jesus walked this earth.
Does Jesus Reign Over You?
Even after seeing His miracles, the proof that He was who He said He was, they still didn’t believe that He was the Savior. No, instead of bowing their knee and confessing with their tongue that Jesus Christ is Lord, they foolishly said “we will not have this man reign over us.” That’s really what modern-day atheists are saying. You are saying that you will not have this man Jesus Christ reign over you. That you will not bow the knee or confess with the tongue that Jesus Christ is Lord.
Oh, but my friends, that is where you are wrong. You will do this on Judgment Day. You will acknowledge the Lordship of Jesus. But then He will have His servants cast you into the lake of fire and brimstone where you will weep and gnash your teeth forever. You will bow to King Jesus. Make no mistake, you will proclaim Him as Lord before you are thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone.
You may mock and laugh at God today, but know this, He is also laughing at you. Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sits in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure (Psalm 2:1-5).
God Calls Atheists Fools
God calls all atheists – fools. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one (Psalm 14:1-3).
I’m pleading with you tonight, don’t continue barreling down the broad road to destruction. Stop mocking God. Quit hating the very God that you foolishly say doesn’t exist. You can look around at creation and know that God is real. You know there is a Creator when you look at creation. Don’t continue rebelling against God. Oh, don’t continue rejecting such a great of salvation.
Repent from your sins and put your trust in Jesus. Bow to King Jesus today. Confess your sins to the Lord Jesus. Admit that you are a sinner. Recognize that you are not perfect and that God is. Cry out for God to have mercy on your soul. Repent and believe the Gospel. Do this today and be saved.
Claiming God Is Not Real Is Not A New Phenomenon
People claiming that God is not real is not some new phenomenon. Some people did the same thing back in the days of Isaiah. Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who sees us? and who knows us? Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter’s clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding? (Isaiah 29:15-16).
Listen to what else Isaiah says through the power of the Holy Spirit: And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness. The meek also shall increase their joy in the Lord, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel. For the terrible one is brought to nought, and the scorner is consumed, and all that watch for iniquity are cut off (Isaiah 29:18-20).
Atheists Will Be Brought To Nothing!
Don’t miss this. All who oppose God, atheists and others who are anti-theist, who are anti-God, will be brought to nothing. The scorner shall be consumed. You will be consumed by the wrath of God. Don’t continue hating the God you say doesn’t exist. You know He is real and you know that there is judgment to come.
Repent therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord (Acts 3:19). Repent from your sins and put your faith in Jesus Christ the Lord and be saved. Surrender your life fully and completely to Jesus. Only Jesus saves. Repent and believe the Gospel.
(This article was updated (corrected) on March 13, 2018)