Not afraid?

    The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

                Proverbs 9:10 (NKJV)

Tonight after an incredible football game, during a program on for noise while I was doing dishes, a commercial came on featuring a prominent atheist  Mr. Atheist (which is what we will call this person) is raising money for a group calling themselves the Freedom From Religion something or other.  In it, Mr. Atheist claims that the organization works to keep religion out of government.  I wonder, does this group really have to work at this point, but that's another topic for another day.  At the end, he signs off by cockily saying something to the effect his that he is a lifelong atheist and he's not afraid to burn in hell. 

That's a pretty bold statement, there.  He's not afraid.  I thought for some context, it might be good to take a look at just what Mr. Atheist is not afraid of. 

Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Matthew 10:28 (NIV)  

These are the words of Jesus to His disciples as He sent them out to bring the Good News to the Jews.  He warned them there would be persecution but not to fear those who could only kill the physical, but to fear God, who can destroy both body and soul.  That warning builds on what Solomon said about fearing God.  It seems to me too, that it points out that part of our existence is in fact, eternal and there's something after this.  Believers know this.  Mr. Atheist appears to be unconcerned with this because, after all, he doesn't believe in God, so surely this is all fake.

That takes me to what will happen, someday, for all unbelievers.  it's something Jesus showed to the Apostle John and he records for us in the book of Revelation. 

The Judgment of Satan

7 When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—and to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. 9 They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’s people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. 10 And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

The Judgment of the Dead

11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:7-15

Here's something else to consider:

9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place

    and gave him the name that is above every name,

10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,

    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,

    to the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2:9-11 (NIV)

I wonder how all of this happens, but at some point, Mr. Atheist finds himself doing two things: The first is humbling himself and acknowledging that thing he is so adamant about denying these days, that Jesus Christ is Lord. In doing so, he will have to admit to the lie he is living as an atheist; that God, is in fact, real. Then the books are opened and he's got to answer to all of this bravado.

That's scary.

As I was writing this, I put some thought to what Jesus saved me from: Among all of the things He saved me from, when I die, I'm saved from this. And not only this, but saved for me is a place with Jesus for eternity. I wonder if Mr. Atheist ever stops to think about what the alternative is if what he believes is a lie (it is) and what happens to him unless he changes his mind.

I never really understood the magnitude of my sins and the lies I believed until I got saved. As I grow as a Christian and I get older, I have a deeper understanding of just what that salvation brings. It brings an abundant life here on earth that I get to walk with Jesus, following Him and trusting God. I have a relationship with God that I never knew was possible. There won't be weeping and gnashing of teeth in outer darkness. The judgment I face is the Judgment Seat of Christ where He judges the things we do as Christians. It's a much different scene than the Great White Throne of Judgment because judgment for sin has already taken place. The price for mine has been paid because Jesus paid it for me and all I had to do was believe on Him and confess that He is Lord and Savior and let Him be Lord of my life. My salvation was free, but it wasn't cheap. It cost God plenty and I'm mindful these days of not just who I am in Christ, but whose I am.

I also wonder about those who aren't quite like Mr. Atheist but those who are trusting on themselves to get into heaven.  For them, heaven is real, so God must be too, but they believe what they want about how to get there instead of what the Bible says about it; what Jesus Himself said about it.

Are you born again?  I hope so.  I really do.