Romans: God Doesn't Believe in Atheists

Every single person has the knowledge of God. God doesn’t believe in atheists. (v.20)

The knowledge of God is universal.

For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)Romans 2:14-15

God desires to be known.

That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.John 1:9

Atheism is either a learned behavior or a result of rebellion against God.

God reveals Himself through creation. This is General Revelation.

To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.Psalm 19:1

A disease left Helen Keller as a very young girl without sight, hearing, and speech. Through Anne Sullivan’s tireless and self-less efforts, Helen finally learned to communicate through touch and even learned to talk. When Miss Sullivan first tried to tell Helen about God, the girl’s response was that she already knew about Him, just didn’t know His name

God reveals, not only Himself, but also His power through creation.

Cosmological Argument: A family of arguments for the existence of God that postulate God’s existence as the ultimate cause or ground or explanation of the cosmos. This reasoning is based on the law of causality, which says that every finite or contingent thing is caused right now by something other than itself.

1. Something exists, and 2. owes its existence either to nothing or to something. 3. Nothing cannot cause something. 4. There is, then, a something, which is either one or many. 5. If many, the beings would be mutually dependent for their own existence or dependent on another. 6. They cannot be mutually dependent for their existence. Something cannot exist through a being on which it confers existence. 7. Therefore, there must be one being through which all other beings exist. 8. This being must exist through itself. 9. Whatever exists through itself, exists in the highest degree of all. 10. Therefore, a supremely perfect Being exists in the highest degree.

Teleological Argument: An argument for the existence of God that takes as its starting point the purposive (teleological) character of the universe. Either the universe was designed or it developed life-supporting features by chance. The cosmos is either planned or accidental. One of the most popular arguments is Intelligent Design.

1. All design implies a designer. 2. Great design implies a great designer. 3. There is great design in the world (like that of a great machine). 4. Therefore, there must be a great Designer of the world.

1. Every agent acts for an end, even natural agents. 2. Now what acts for an end manifests intelligence. 3. But natural agents have no intelligence of their own. 4. Therefore, they are directed to their end by some Intelligence.

Ontological Argument: The argument which moves God from being a concept to an actual reality. While a bit circular in reasoning, never truly offers proof of the existence of God, but is helpful in understanding the attributes of God.

1. If God exists, we must conceive of him as a Necessary Being. 2. But by definition, a Necessary Being cannot not exist. 3. Therefore, if a Necessary Being can, then it must, exist.

Moral Argument: The moral law commands seeking the highest good which leads to perfect happiness.

1. The greatest good of all persons is that they have happiness in harmony with duty.

2. All persons should strive for the greatest good.

3. What persons ought to do, they can do.

4. But persons are not able to realize the greatest good in this life or without God.

5. Therefore, we must postulate a God and a future life in which the greatest good can be achieved.

1. Moral laws imply a Moral Law Giver. 2. There is an objective moral law. 3. Therefore, there is a Moral Law Giver.

God reveals Himself through the Word and through Jesus. This is Specific Revelation.

God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;Hebrews 1:1-2

Specific Revelation tells us who God is, what He requires of us and how we can live at peace with Him.

There comes a point where every person is 100% responsible for his own sin.

We see biblical principles that support what we refer to as the Age of Accountability. The age of accountability is generally the chronological stage when a person is responsible for his or her conduct before God. This is not, however, a fixed age but is relative depending on the individual growth of moral consciousness.

We know that God doesn’t send children to Hell.

And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether GOD will be gracious to me, that the child may live? But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.2 Samuel 12:22-23

But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.Mark 10:14

We see God merciful to those 19 and under when Israel disobeyed God in going into the Promised Land.

Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the LORD, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you: Your carcases shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, which have murmured against me, Doubtless ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.Numbers 14:28-30

At what point one chooses evil and rejects God, they are fully responsible before God for their sin.

Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.John 9:41

Authentic freedom brings the knowledge of good and evil, and, essentially, the knowledge of God or resistance to God.