"The Sinner's Atheism."

 

 

What is at the bottom of a sinner's wickedness? Matthew Henry gives this answer - "A practical disbelief of God's omniscience and government."

 

Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Commentary adds this comment - "Hardened sinners typically do not consider that God will hold them accountable for their deeds."

 

"This is the sinner's atheism; as good to say that there is no God as say that He is either ignorant or forgetful, that there is none that judges in the earth as that He remembers not the things He is to give judgment upon. It is a high affront they put upon God; it is a damning cheat they put upon themselves; they say, The Lord shall not see...They cannot but know that God remembers all their works; they have been told it many a time; nay, if you ask them, they cannot but own it, and yet they do not consider it; they do not think of it when they should, and with application to themselves and their own works, else they would not, they durst not, do as they do. But the time will come when those who thus deceive themselves shall be undeceived."

 

Sooner or later, God will convince those who do not now consider it that He remember all their works."

- Both quotes from the Matthew Henry Commentary

 

Throughout the Bible, we find the given concept that God knows all of our sins. They cannot be hidden from Him.

 

In Job 10:14, Job said - "If I sin, then Thou markest me..." He understood that nothing could be hidden from the eyes of Him Who takes note of all transgressions...carefully observes every fault...and marks every sin with ceaseless rigor.

 

In Psalm 69:5, David said - "O God, Thou knowest my foolishness; and my sins are not hid from Thee." He understood that the Almighty was fully aware of the corruption of his nature...the foolishness bound in his heart...and any transgressions of his life.

 

In the Book of Jeremiah, we find God's people feverishly attempting to hide their sins from Him, but He retorted with these statements from the Prophet - "For Mine eyes are upon all their ways: they are not hid from My face, neither is their iniquity hid from Mine eyes"  (Jeremiah 16:17). Also, in Jeremiah 2:22, we read - "For though thou wash thee with niter, and take thee much soap, yet thine iniquity is marked before Me, saith the Lord God."

 

The people were engaging in secret sins and then excusing them so artfully. Nonetheless, the Lord interrupted their foolishness with the strong rebuke - "I see what you are up to! I am closely watching you, and I see every sin that you commit. You are not getting away with anything. Your sins are deeply ingrained and indelibly marked. No human means could possibly remove their stain. Though you use the most powerful detergents of mineral and vegetable alkalis, you will never remove the spots and marks of your idolatry and apostasy from before Mine eyes."

 

The Prophet Hosea prophesied of this same spiritual blindness and ignorance among God's people in Hosea 7:2 - "And they consider not in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness: now their own doings have beset them about; they are before My face." The people were failing to consider, say, think about, or remember that God's eye was upon all their ways - past, present, and future - remembering all their wickedness so as to punish it. Their evil doings could not be hid nor silenced for they were as many witnesses surrounding them - just waiting to testify against them.

 

Lastly, we go to the Prophet Amos and find that he is addressing the same issue in Amos 5:12 - "For I know your manifold transgressions and your mighty sins..." Israel's sins were strong, decided, and habitual - not incidental. They were very numerous  - of various kinds and often repeated. Because they were not avenged speedily, the people thought that God was not aware of them. Nothing could be further from the truth.

 

Which is worse - to say that there is no God or to live as though He is ignorant and forgetful...to say that there is no Judge in the earth or to act as though He doesn't even remember what actions should come under judgment?

 

There is an overall attitude in the world today. It is called "the sinner's atheism." Its motto is - "The Lord does not see." Hence, sinners are committing every conceivable act of perversion - right before the face of God - while thinking that He is blind to it all. 

 

The sad thing is that this same attitude can be found in the church as well. Many live as though God is not mindful of their evil deeds...He isn't watching their every step...He does not remember their sins and iniquities...or He doesn't really care. 

 

Barnes' Notes made this comment - "People who do not act with the thought of God, cease to know Him, and forget that He knows them."

 

O Christian, are you acting "with the thought of God"?

Are you aware that everything that you think, say, or do is done in the sight of the Lord?

Or have you entered into the "practical disbelief of God's omniscience and government" - as is typical of sinners nowadays?  

 

The moment that you fail to recognize that God remembers all your works is the moment that you "cease to know Him" and enter into the sinner's atheism.

 

Beware!