“The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’” These words are about three thousand years old, recorded by King David in Psalm 14:1. The temptation to dismiss God as a figment of someone’s imagination is nothing new. And this ancient notion is still with us today.
We live in a world filled with skepticism about eternal realities: life after death, final judgment, heaven and hell, and so forth. Satan has convinced many people that God is nothing more than a threat to their personal freedoms. Without God, he promises, they are free from accountability, thus free to live as they please, to do as they please.
But the old serpent is not telling the whole truth. Without God, we would live in a world utterly devoid of real meaning and purpose. True, we would be able to do whatever we wished, or at least we could try. But whatever we might do would be empty of any lasting value. Whatever momentary thrill we gained would soon be lost and forgotten, just as we also would be.
Life without meaning is a deeply troubling prospect. Those who fear that their lives have no purpose are often visited by depression. We are ‘hardwired’ to believe that life should be meaningful. If there is no God and life truly is meaningless, then why are we so stubborn in our conviction that our existence must have meaning and purpose?
Here are more ancient words from the Bible: “He (God) has put eternity in their hearts” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). God has put eternity in the hearts of all people everywhere at all times. In the very core of our being, our mind, will and emotion, we are ‘stamped’ with the idea that life is both valuable and meaningful. This is one mark of the image of God in us. God’s existence is meaningful. So is ours, because we reflect him.
This ‘imprint’ of God’s character on each of us is robust. Parents who lose a beloved child to an apparently random accident or disease might insist on starting a foundation to raise money and do research to avoid future similar fatalities. This good work is done in the name of the lost child. Why? In order to find meaning in a life that was cut off too soon. Living with the idea that the child’s life had no meaning is unacceptable.
Atheists propose a solution to the problem of our desire for purpose and our need for God to supply ultimate meaning. They insist that people can still live fulfilling lives even if God is imaginary and life is ultimately meaningless. How? By simply inventing a purpose for life. In other words, by pretending that life does have meaning, all the while knowing that it doesn’t.
The atheist considers this a bold and admirable move. But is it honest? No. They are asking us to live a dishonest and deceived life. This bizarre solution is ironic since atheists have long accused Christians of engaging in wishful thinking and refusing to face reality.
But what purpose is there in a world filled with evil and injustice? How can we believe in a good God, they ask, considering the terrible pain and suffering in this world? They want us to conclude that either God is not good (since he allows suffering), that God is not all-powerful (since a good God would stop suffering if he could), or that God is non-existent. They opt for the final choice and persuade us to agree with them.
However, the atheist’s argument from the existence of evil is incomplete. There is another possibility. Perhaps pain and suffering is meaningful. This is precisely what the Bible reveals. The greatest example is Jesus Christ. The life of Jesus shows that God is willing to join us in our suffering (since Jesus is God). And, the sacrificial death of Jesus shows that suffering can produce great good. Jesus’ unjust suffering on the cross saves all the faithful from eternal judgment and condemnation.
God loves us enough to send Jesus to join us in our pain and suffering. God despises pain and suffering enough to send Jesus to the cross to sacrifice himself so we can be set free even from death itself. God proves his power by raising Jesus from the dead. God is powerful enough to defeat suffering and injustice and to create a new heaven and earth where evil will no longer exist. God invites us to join him in that new heaven and earth by trusting in Jesus.
May we seek the Lord while he may be found,
Brother Richard
brotherrichardsblog.com 