Are You A Practical Atheist?

Published by Joshua Bontrager on May 7, 2019May 7, 2019

What in the world is a practical atheist? Simply put, a practical atheist is one who claims that God exists, but who lives as if God didn’t.

Have you ever found yourself doing the same things day after day, but not asking why you do them?

Today, we’ll discover how by God’s grace we can live, not as practical atheists, but as intentional Christians. Though real Christianity may be underestimated, it’s incredibly powerful.

Remember Who God Is

Though we serve a big God, we often live as if He is just one piece of our lives. God is either Lord of every area of our lives, or Lord of none of it.

On Mar’s Hill, Paul proclaimed God as both Creator and Sovereign, stating, “In Him, we move, and live, and have our being” (Acts 17:28).

Truly, “He is before all things, and by Him all things consist” (Colossians 1:17). Therefore, in all things He must have the preeminence (Colossians 1:18). Christ is to be “our life” (Colossians 3:4).

As Psalm 1 describes, the blessed man is the one daily meditates on the Word of God, allowing the Word of God to radically transform his life.

Reflect On What He Has Done

Though God warned the Israelites to always remember His works, they forgot nonetheless and suffered tragically.

Deuteronomy 6:12-13 states, “Then beware lest thou forget the Lord, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name.”

Have we forgotten how great a God we serve? He is the Creator, Sustainer, Judge, Redeemer, and so much more. He is far greater than anything or anyone in this world. Do we truly believe that?

Reignite Your Passion for God

Remembering God leads to loving and fearing God. Those who love God love God’s Word (Psalm 119). Additionally, those who love God talk about God to their children (Deuteronomy 6:4-9).

Those who love God desire to keep His commandments (John 14:21) and to be holy as He is Holy (I Peter 1:15-16).

In the end, those who live in the love and fear of God will turn the world upside down, as did the early Christians.

Question: Is God the reason for everything you do?