May 11 2018 – Click here to listen
I am being harassed by an atheist who does not seem to like the fact that I urge others to share the Gospel with atheists. He brings up senseless arguments such as Old Testament warnings about eating pork as evidence that the Bible is wrong.
Everyone seems to enjoy a nice pork tenderloin, a half-pound of bacon with a side of sausage, or a nice ham. So, did God get it wrong in His Holy Bible?
It is well known today that swine are nasty creatures and pork carries any number of diseases, and the meat requires stricter preservation and cooking techniques than other meats such as beef. At the time of writing this instruction there was no refrigeration and there was no knowledge of trichinosis or other microscopic pathogens, and the cultural norm was to eat raw or under-cooked meat. Even a halfwit probably realizes that eating under-cooked pork would have posed a significant health threat to Israel, but God protected them through the Mosaic Law because of His love for His people.
This person sent me dozens of questions like this, but rather than spend hours answering them all, I asked him a question. Have you ever read the Bible that you rant against? It turns out that the extent of this person’s knowledge of the Bible that he loves to argue about is derived from a few selected passages. As with most atheists, they use random phrases and words taken out of context in an effort to make God’s word sound ridiculous. Few have ever read the Bible in its entirety.
I told this person to read the Bible cover to cover and then I would be happy to spend some time discussing its content; however, I’m not going to spend hours arguing basic points with someone so ignorant. I’ve studied the Bible for over four decades daily. I’ve read it cover to cover countless times including every translation except the Message which I believe to be garbage. I even studied the Greek for five long years. It irks me to no end to hear people cherry pick verses in an attempt to belittle it.
At one point I was an atheist as was my mother. Jesus came into our lives at different times and we both dropped atheism like a hot rock. My turnaround was dramatic, going from a violent sociopath with murderous tendencies to a doting grandfather.
The Holy Bible is the word of God. It was written in ancient times but has yet to be disproven. Many have done what I did and read the Bible cover to cover trying their best to disprove it. During that process they became believers. C.S. Lewis, Einstein, Hugh Ross, and countless other geniuses have followed suite.
Most atheists at some point in time suffered some indignity or hurt at the hand of a supposed Christian. Some were molested by someone in the church at a young age. Others have fallen victim to judgmental hypocrites who condemn ordinary people for their sins. What atheists do not understand is that God is not the problem. Those are sins performed by humankind and are condemned by God in His Holy Bible. Don’t blame God for the people who claim to represent Him. Christians are full of flaws and sins too.
I hope this atheist can find God. He seems to think that people come to God out of fear. I responded that fear was not a factor for me. If someone doesn’t believe in God, why would they fear Him or fear spending eternity in a non-existent hell?
No, I decided to follow Jesus because of His love for me. Now that I know the Bible thoroughly I do fear Him. One would be a fool not to fear Him. The Bible uses the word fear at least 300 times in reference to God, so anyone who doesn’t fear Him is making a mistake. Interestingly 1 John 4:18 says that “perfect love expels all fear.” How can we fear God while he expels all fear?
Well the ultimate example of fear and perfect love working together is Jesus Christ. He warned us at every turn to fear God, not men—and he confirmed that with his life and death. He spoke lovingly but frankly to all and didn’t mince words when people needed to face their sin and repent. But he also demonstrated love beyond human understanding when he lived out His words.
It might seem like a strange combo, but fear and perfect love define the Lord and we should emulate Him. Hence our guide to witnessing to atheists. Speak lovingly about the Lord and heaven, but frankly that we need to face sin and repent or face the torment of hell. We can never go wrong trying to emulate Jesus, even if it might cost you your life.
John 15:13
“There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
Have a great weekend and go to church this Sunday!