How Different - the atheist

Dallas Willard writes, “To bring the mind to dwell intelligently upon God as He is presented in His Word will have the effect of causing us to love God passionately and this love will in turn bring us to think of God steadily.”

Thomas Watson - “The first fruit of love is the musing of the mind upon God. Oh, how far are they from being lovers of God, who scarcely ever think of God (Ps. 10:4) A sinner crowds God out of his thoughts. He never thinks of God, unless with horror, as the prisoner thinks of the judge.”

Again, Willard - “To think of God as he is, one cannot not lapse into worship; and worship is the single most powerful force in completing and sustaining restoration in the whole person.”

How different, the atheist. In fact it is they who dwell upon God as He is presented in His Word and reject Him as a monster.

Same accounts, same evidence, two very different responses.

For the Christian, to be in the presence of a Being who hates evil with a Holy wrath is in some sense comforting and it promotes and instills admiration - knowing of course that it is that very same God who willingly at His own expense removes evil from us. As we gaze upon the world, marinading in sleaze, to come upon the only Being that genuinely hates what is evil can only draw one to an admiration of Creator God.

The secular world on the other hand loves evil, glorifies evil, revels in evil, promotes and protects evid and hates those who speak against evil, including their own Creator. In fact, the only evil the secular world can identify is that which is found in those who preach against evil. The preaching itself is seen as evil.

A. W. Tozer describes worship as “admiration to the point of wonder and delight.” This is something that simply can never happen for the atheist. For to worship God you have to know God. Now there are some atheists who have grown up in the “Church.” They have known about God. Some even believed in some beliefs about God, but none of them have KNOWN God.

“It's impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that He exists and that He cares enough to respond to those who seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6

And therein lies the difference. It’s sad. It’s tragic. There is nothing to be done about it.