Christian Atheists Believe in Easter
Tom and Martha are not skeptics. They are folks just like most of the people from around here. They were raised around church, but they don¹t go very often. They know the Easter story. They believe in Jesus and the resurrection. If you asked them they would tell you they are Christians but they would admit they are not very serious about living a ³religious² life. They would agree with the old Doobie Brother¹s song, ³Jesus is just alright² but there is little difference between how they live and non-believers. It may be that they are actually Christian atheists. Tomorrow is Easter, the most important day in the entire year for followers of Christ. This is the day we celebrate the resurrection of Christ, the cornerstone of the Christian faith. There have been a lot of religious leaders through the years, some who even started world religions. But every one of those prophets and leaders died and stayed in the grave. Jesus, however, not only claimed to be God, he said he would prove it by rising from the dead three days after he was buried. Unfortunately no one believed him at first, not even his own disciples. They were as surprised as anyone to see him alive. But the apostle Paul tells us ³I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died² (1 Corinthians 15:3-6). Paul went on to say that if Christ has not been raised then the Christian faith is useless and meaningless. A problem, however, is that Christian atheists believe in the resurrection. Pastor Craig Groeschel defines a Christian atheist as one who believes in God but lives as if he doesn¹t exist. I¹ve had many a person tell me ³I¹m not living much like a Christian right now, but I do believe in Jesus.² The problem is that kind of faith is pretty much worthless. Jesus did not die on the cross and rise from the dead for us to say some little prayer, claim we have accepted him into our hearts, and then go on living the way we want to. That is being a Christian atheist, and that is a lousy and defeated way to live. Christian atheists come in all stripes; they are Baptists, Catholics, Pentecostals, and Presbyterians. Some pray and even read their Bibles. The truth is, all of us struggle living out our faith. Many believe in God but do not know him personally. Many believe in God but fear and worry dominate their lives. Many believe in God but then pursue money and success as the best way to happiness. We say we believe in God but we don¹t like his bride, the church. Sunday morning come to Brookwood or some church that teaches the Bible and the truth about God and celebrate Easter. But this Easter ask God to help you stop living as a Christian atheist and make Christ the Lord of your life. He wants to fill you with himself and let you experience a life full of joy and making a difference in this world. I know, I was once a Christian atheist, but I¹ve been set free by his grace.
