ODJ: love and magic
December 14, 2011
People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed His life [for them], shedding His blood (Romans 3:25).
READ: Psalm 14
When an atheist online reader of ODJ submitted a comment that called religion “anti-science” and Christianity “magic”, a fascinating online dialog ensued. I thought of the books authored by brilliant minds—articulating a reasoned and logical case for belief in God. I pondered the complexity of the human eye, the intricate design of a giraffe’s neck, and the oddity of the duckbilled platypus. I considered how the laws of nature irresistibly infer a Lawgiver. Also, I thought of several scathing and unhelpful ways I could have responded to the reader. Thankfully, I refrained.
The exchange brought to mind two nearly identical Psalms: 14 and 53. Psalm 14:1 says, “Only fools say in their hearts, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, and their actions are evil; not one of them does good!”
Yet those Psalms don’t charge only those who deny God. “The Lord looks down from heaven on the entire human race” (14:2). The conclusion: “All have turned away; all have become corrupt. No one does good, not a single one!” (v.3).
That’s emphatically inclusive language! “Not a single one” includes you and me!
“Everyone has sinned,” Paul asserts. “We all fall short of God’s glorious standard” (Romans 3:23). Thankfully, there’s more. “Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous,” Paul adds. “He did this through Christ Jesus when He freed us from the penalty for our sins” (v.24).
We have no right to despise those who choose not to believe in God. Rather, in love, we can thank God, who “chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes” (Ephesians 1:4).
It isn’t magic to believe in the One who established the laws of science. It’s love for our heavenly Father. —Tim Gustafson
How do you react to people who hate God? What attitude do you picture Jesus having toward them?
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