Stop Playing the Fool

Last time we briefly talked about a remarkable verse in the Psalms:

The fool says in his heart, "There is no God"
Psalm 53:1a

Like we covered, this small sentence tells us that atheism is nothing new. It's been around for thousands of years! But that's not really the most important part of the verse. Now that your mind has had a chance to think, "Well, what is the most important part of the verse?", let's move on.

The most important part of Psalm 53:1 is that it unabashedly calls an atheist a fool. The title of fool is probably the worst one you can have in the Bible. It means you believe something or do something or think something even though you know better. The writer here is implying that declaring yourself an atheist is foolish. Period.

But, for the atheist or agnostic that's reading this, you're probably thinking, "It's the other way around! Christians are the fools! Where's the evidence for creation? Most of the wars in the world are started by religion! Why does God let evil happen? I mean come on, you say Jesus was born of a virgin and rose from the dead?!? Where's the empirical evidence for that? How dare you call me a fool! Look in the mirror!"

In other words, you probably say it's preposterous to believe in something that's obviously just fairy tales and bedtime stories. You'd like to tell the Christians in the world to stop playing the fool and get with the 21st century. After all, it's simply foolish to believe in some ancient book that contains a few stories about a man dying on a cross for people's sins, right?

We're not going to get into an argument or debate. But we will check out what the Bible says about this:

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God
1 Corinthians 1:18

Let's focus on the first part for now:

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing

Those who are perishing (i.e. those who don't believe in Jesus) think that the story of the cross is folly, foolish, and absurd. To the atheist, this verse tells you that your arguments that Jesus' death doesn't mean anything are nothing new and inventive. They're actually the status quo. It's the normal, sinful human reaction to think that belief in Jesus or salvation or the gospel or trusting God are foolish. To the believer in Jesus, this verse provides great hope that God addresses the issues of atheism and arguments against our Lord Jesus Christ. Let's move on to the second part:

but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God

See, for Christians, the gospel is not foolishness. It's actually quite the opposite: the power of God! God saves through the gospel. Anyone who believes in Christ believes because they've heard and embraced the word of the cross! What is foolish and stupid for many is precious and powerful for the rest.

Wrapping up, there are two messages here. First for the Christian:

Don't water down the gospel. Don't discount the word of the cross. It's by this that people are saved! It's not through bright lights or funny pastors or trendy music. So, preach the word of the cross. It's the power of God!

Now for the second message to the atheist:

You think the word of the cross is folly. What you don't realize is that the word of the cross is what saves you. The very thing you try and condemn is the very thing that saves you from condemnation. Stop playing the fool and contemplate Jesus. He really is God, He really did die for you, and He really can forgive you of all of your sin. He's asking you to see Him for who He is and to see yourself for who you are. You are a sinner, He is your Savior. Embrace Him. Seek Him. Find Him. He won't let you down.

Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.
1 Corinthians 1:20-21