This one's really similar to Psalm 10, huh? As a bit of a writer, myself, I wonder if David sat down and cranked these all out at once. Or maybe it was something that weighed heavily on his mind, and he went back to the topic on multiple occasions. Since I feel like a lot of what I said for Psalm 10 is applicable here, I'll leave you with the link and take a different spin on things.
Are you an atheist? If you're reading this blog, I'm guessing that you're not. But have you heard the phrase "functional atheism?" That is, are there times where you think and act like an atheist, despite your well-rehearsed Sunday school answers?
I've heard it said that when we sin, we become "functional atheists." It sounds weird at first, but on second thought, it makes a bit of sense. Why do we sin? We sin because we forget God. We forget who He is, what He's done, and who we are before Him. We act like he doesn't exist. We may be Christians, but functionally, we're pretending God doesn't exist (or doesn't care).
The fool does two things: say there is no God, and does abominable deeds. That's not to say that "atheists can't be moral," but atheists sin. So do we- and when we do, it is as if, in that moment, we're atheists.
We are commanded to press on heavenward, toward the goal in Christ Jesus, to not become weary in doing good, and to be like Christ, who joyfully accomplished the task set before him. But that's hard. It's easy to turn aside, pushing away the knowledge of God's goodness and holiness to make room for our own desires.
But God is with the righteous. If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus the Son cleanses us from all sin. So don't be an atheist who denies God, a deist who doesn't believe in God's desire for a relationship, or a humanist who believes we're all basically good. There are none who do good, but there is a God of goodness who produces goodness in us. Believe in Him, abide in him, and receive strength from the vine.
Are you an atheist? If you're reading this blog, I'm guessing that you're not. But have you heard the phrase "functional atheism?" That is, are there times where you think and act like an atheist, despite your well-rehearsed Sunday school answers?
I've heard it said that when we sin, we become "functional atheists." It sounds weird at first, but on second thought, it makes a bit of sense. Why do we sin? We sin because we forget God. We forget who He is, what He's done, and who we are before Him. We act like he doesn't exist. We may be Christians, but functionally, we're pretending God doesn't exist (or doesn't care).
The fool does two things: say there is no God, and does abominable deeds. That's not to say that "atheists can't be moral," but atheists sin. So do we- and when we do, it is as if, in that moment, we're atheists.
We are commanded to press on heavenward, toward the goal in Christ Jesus, to not become weary in doing good, and to be like Christ, who joyfully accomplished the task set before him. But that's hard. It's easy to turn aside, pushing away the knowledge of God's goodness and holiness to make room for our own desires.
But God is with the righteous. If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus the Son cleanses us from all sin. So don't be an atheist who denies God, a deist who doesn't believe in God's desire for a relationship, or a humanist who believes we're all basically good. There are none who do good, but there is a God of goodness who produces goodness in us. Believe in Him, abide in him, and receive strength from the vine.
