Do Christians and Jews worship the same God?

by Scott Rossy
A friend once asked me: “Since both claim to be worshiping the God of Abraham, do Christians and Jews worship the same God?”

I told her no, and gave her my reasons. She asked a bible teacher at her church and he responded by saying yes. He backed up his point by quoting the story of Paul while at Athens when he said “Men of Athens, I observe that you are very religious in all respects.  For while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ Therefore what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you.” (Acts 17:21-23). His (the bible teacher) point being that the Athenians were worshiping God, but they were just doing it in ignorance.

Notwithstanding his point, I still believe the answer is no.

I think the question should really be; “Does God accept their worship?” Many people “claim” to worship God, whether they are a Jew or a Gentile but does God accept or is He pleased with their worship?

When speaking of whether we worship the same God, I understand the question to be all encompassing, concerning our entire life offering, meaning; do we serve the same God? Do we pray to the same God? Do we have faith in and are we trusting in the same God?  Do we know the same God and are we known by Him? Do we all have equal access to Him? Are we all a part of His family? But even more importantly, does He accept or receive our worship, our prayers, our service, our life? Is He pleased with it? We may claim to be serving, worshiping, and praying to Him, but is it on His terms?

I believe the answer to this question is clearly, No. Reason being that Jesus Christ is the only way of access to the Father.

“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” (John 14:6)

“For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” (I Timothy 2:5)

There is no other way to come to the Father. All access to the Father is in and through Christ. Access to the Father not only for salvation, but also for prayer and worship as well. It is not possible to come to the Father some other way, to side step Christ and then expect Him to accept our worship. Only those (both Jew and Gentile) who have been adopted by the Father and have born into His family are at peace with the Him. Those who are outside of Christ, whether Jew or Gentile, are still abiding under the wrath of God. They have never been reconciled to the Father. Man may claim that he is worshiping the Father and that the Father is pleased with or accepts his worship but that is not the case.

“The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, but the prayer of the upright is His delight.” (Proverbs 15:8)

“He who turns away his ear from listening to the law, even his prayer is an abomination.” (Proverbs 28:9)

Scripture is filled with examples of God rejecting the worship of man. This was particularly true of the covenant people of Israel and Judah. God rejected their worship in Isaiah 1:11-15 saying:

“What are your multiplied sacrifices to Me?” Says the Lord. “I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed cattle; and I take no pleasure in the blood of bulls, lambs or goats. “When you come to appear before Me, Who requires of you this trampling of My courts?  “Bring your worthless offerings no longer, incense is an abomination to Me. New moon and Sabbath, the calling of assemblies—I cannot endure iniquity and the solemn assembly.  “I hate your new moon festivals and your appointed feasts, they have become a burden to Me; I am weary of bearing them.  “So when you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; Yes, even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood.”

This is an example of people coming to God based mostly on the fact that they are the physical descendants of Abraham and assuming that He will be pleased with and will accept their worship. They overlooked the fact that their hearts were not right before Him. They still had hearts that were evil and corrupt. They possessed hearts of stone. They were never forgiven, cleansed, washed and purified. God will never accept worship from such a vessel. Even we as His children today will have our worship and prayers rejected if we cherish sin in our hearts, so how much more those who are outside of His family?

Being a descendant of Abraham wasn’t enough. John the Baptist said to the Jews of his day, “Do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father’; for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham.” (Matthew 3:9). Jesus said to the Jews who claimed that they were Abraham’s children, “You are of your father the devil.” (John 8:44). All who are outside of Christ are children of the devil, whether they are a Jew or a Gentile. So in what way can it be said that God accepts their worship? It can’t.

Old Testament saints

So what about the OT believers? Since Jesus had not yet come, was their worship, etc. accepted by the Father. Was it pleasing to Him? Where they coming to Him on His terms? Yes, it WAS accepted by Him. It was accepted by Him because they also were coming to God based on the cross of Christ. There is only one way of salvation. The cross of Christ is the way of salvation under both Covenants, the old and the new. Humanly speaking, they were looking ahead to the cross just as we look back to the cross. It was necessary for Christ to step into time during the incarnation but from God’s viewpoint, Christ’s atoning work was already accomplished. “For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you.” (I Peter 1:20). He does not exist in time. He does not see “history” and “time” as we do. He sees as one, what is to us the past, present and future. Because of this, God accepted Abel, Enoch, Abraham, Moses, David, etc. because from His viewpoint, their sins were already atoned for. Christ’s atoning work was a done deal. These godly men of faith understood that “the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness.” (Romans 4:5). They had placed their faith Him and understood that salvation was to come from and be provided by Him. They may not have had the understanding that we do today but they were trusting in the One who is to come, just as we trust in the One who has come.

Those who are outside of Christ (Jew and Gentile) are separated from God and still have their debt of sin remaining. It’s still between them and the Lord. It hasn’t been dealt with. As a result, God’s wrath is abiding on them.

”Your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.” (Isaiah 59:2)

“He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” (John 3:36)

There is simply no other way to the Father than through Christ for both Jew and Gentile. Claiming to worship the God of Abraham without faith in the Christ (Messiah, Anointed One, Branch, Servant of the Lord) wasn’t acceptable in the OT and it is still the case today.

Worship in truth

Concerning worship, Jesus said, “But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:23-24). To worship in truth is to worship in and through Jesus because He alone is the truth.

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” (John 14:6)

“truth is in Jesus” (Ephesians 4:21)

The Holy Spirit

It is necessary for the Holy Spirit to be present for all true worship to take place. At least worship that is pleasing to the Lord. It’s only what the Holy Spirit produces in us that is pleasing to the Lord. Apart form the Holy Spirit, no good indwells us. There’s nothing but our wicked, corrupt flesh. And since the unbelieving, unregenerate do not have the Spirit within them, all that’s left is their wicked flesh and the wicked flesh cannot produce a life that is pleasing to the Lord. “The mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” (Romans 8:7-8). Those who are outside of Christ, whether they be a Jew or a Gentile possess neither the Holy Spirit or know the truth. They are still abiding in darkness. In fact, those who have never been born again with the Holy Spirit don’t even have the ability to understand the truth. “ The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (I Corinthians 2:14)

Regarding the Gentiles in Athens, Paul never said that the Father accepted or was pleased with their worship. He claimed that what they were doing was done in ignorance. That’s not a commendable place to be spiritually. I’m not sure why someone would use this verse to prove that those who are outside of Christ are presenting worship that the Father accepts.  Paul proclaimed the truth to them. He didn’t want to leave them where they were, in ignorance. He wanted them to convert. The same with the Jews of their day.  Peter, James, John and the other Apostles took the gospel to them because without it they were still rejected by God. If God accepted their worship, why would the Apostles have endured all the suffering and persecution that they did in order to try and persuade them to turn to Christ?

 “Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son.  Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also.” (I John 2:22-23)

Salvation is available to all today, no matter what our ancestry may be. No matter where we are born or where we live. We may be born a Jew or we may be born a Gentile. The salvation that God has provided for man is in/through and by His Son. The message that Paul proclaimed to those in Athens is still true to man today. He concluded by saying:

“God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness  through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.” (Acts 17:31)

Jesus says: “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

That's Paul, not Jesus

by Scott Rossy
"Well, that's Paul, not Jesus.  Jesus never said that!"  Have you ever heard someone say this? People often say this when confronted with something in the bible that they disagree with or with something in the bible that they don’t like. It’s said in response to something the Apostle Paul said in one of the New Testament epistles. Since they don’t like what is said, they make the claim that since it was said by Paul and not Jesus, they can dismiss it. They claim that Paul’s words are not on the same level and don’t carry the same weight as Jesus words’, therefore, the words of Paul as recorded in the New Testament are not authoritative to Christians today.

But is this a valid argument? Are Paul’s words as authoritative as Jesus’ words? After all, Jesus is the Lord and Paul was only a mortal man.

No, it is not valid. It is an attack on the inspiration of scripture. Paul’s words as recorded in the bible are equal with the words of Jesus. They are equally authoritative. The reason being, the words that Paul spoke are the very words given to him by Christ. Paul did not write letters to churches to give his opinion. He was a called Apostle who was given direct revelation from the Lord.

“For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ” (Galatians 1:11-12)

“By revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief. By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit” (Ephesians 3:3-5)

The truth that Paul taught was not “discovered” by him, but was revealed to him by the Lord. His New Testament epistles are scripture themselves, equal with the Old Testament scriptures. The Apostle Peter refers to Paul’s letters (epistles) as scripture saying “just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.” (II Peter 3:15-16).

Paul’s letters are scripture as the “rest.” Whose writings are the “rest” that Peter is referring to? Moses, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Daniel, Zechariah, etc., and the rest of the Old Testament prophets. Those who distort scripture are described as untaught and unstable because all scripture originates from God. He is its source. It does not originate from these men themselves “For no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” (II Peter 1:21)

It originates from Him and is given to His holy apostles and prophets. Scripture is as the very breath of God. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (II Timothy 3:16-17)

Jesus frequently quoted Moses and the Old Testament prophets. He referred to their prophecies as the word of God. Like Paul, these were all mortal men. But Jesus affirmed that although they were mere men, they were speaking the very words of God. God revealed truth to them. He spoke through them. The Holy Spirit moved them to speak the very words of God. In like manner, Paul was given revealed truth as he was moved by the Holy Spirit. Paul’s words are as authoritative as the “rest” of scripture (Moses and all the Old Testament prophets).

The inspiration of scripture is one of the non negotiable cardinal doctrines of the Christian faith. To attempt to find a division or disagreement between the words of Christ and the epistles of Paul is to do so to ones own destruction. To discard the words of Paul is just as equal to discarding the words of Christ. You cannot pit one against the other. As Jesus said, “Scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:35)

Either, Or

by Scott Rossy
We live in a postmodern world. It’s a world that hates absolutes. It’s a world that rejects the idea of knowing anything for certain. It hates clarity. It despises the idea of seeing things as either black or white. It despises being absolutely sure or certain in our faith and in our beliefs. Instead, it loves the idea of gray, of not being completely sure of anything. It loves the concept that in spiritual matters, we really can’t know anything for certain and to claim certainty is a sign of ignorance. Unfortunately, this kind of thinking has also spilled over into the church. While there are things in scripture that are hard to understand and leave room for honest debate and discussion, man’s eternal destiny and standing before God is not one of them. The Bible is very black and white on this. Every human being on the face of the earth is in either one category, or the other. We all fall into either this or either that.

For instance, we’re all:

Either saved or we’re unsaved

Either born again or we’re not born again

Either a child of God or we’re a child of the devil

Either a child of light or we’re a child of darkness

Either a sheep or we’re a goat

Either wheat or we’re chaff

Either spiritually alive or we’re spiritually dead

Either in Christ or we’re in Adam

Either a slave of righteousness or we’re a slave of sin

Either have a mind set on the Spirit or we’re have a mind set on the flesh

Either married to Christ or we’re married to the Law

Either we’ve entered through the Narrow Gate or we’ve entered through the Broad Gate

Either we’re traveling on the Narrow Path or we’re traveling on the Broad Path

Either we’re clothed in the righteousness of Christ or we’re clothed in self righteousness

Either we have the Son or we don’t have the Son

Either we’ve been reconciled to God or we haven’t been reconciled to God

Either we’re on our way to heaven or we’re on our way to hell

In all of these, there is no middle ground. There is no 3rd option. In every case, we all are in one of the two. There is no situation where someone is neither saved nor unsaved but is in the middle, trying to be saved. The same with being born again. Nobody is in the middle, hoping, working on or trying to be born again. Either we are or we aren’t. To be in the middle would be like being sort of pregnant. It can’t be. Either you are or you aren’t. The same with salvation. Either you’re in Christ or you’re not. If you’re in Christ, you’re saved. If you’re not in Christ, you aren’t saved.

The good news is that God does want us to know for certain. He doesn’t want us to be uncertain about our eternal destiny, but to know Him and to have an intimate relationship with Him. He wants us to be able to live a fruitful and productive life for His glory and to have the joy and assurance of our faith. He says in 1 John: “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.” (I John 5:13). It’s those who believe in the name of the Son of God who already, right now possess eternal life. They are the only one’s who can know for sure. Believing in the name of the Son of God is to believe fully in the Person and work of Jesus Christ. To trust in Him and Him alone for forgiveness. By coming to Him in faith and repentance, we no longer place any hope in our own self effort and goodness as a means to gain approval and acceptance from God. It’s to truly believe that if it weren’t for Jesus Christ and His work on the cross, then no one could be saved. We’d all be consigned to an eternity in hell. Forgiveness would not be possible.

“This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” (John 17:3)

“And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.” (I John 5:11-12)

“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.” (I Corinthians 15:3-4)

“And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)

Jesus says; “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

The concept of grayness or finding the middle ground is not admirable. It’s not a virtue and it doesn’t come from God. It’s spiritual poison, don’t drink it. Know for sure! You can know for sure. God wants you to know for sure. His salvation in Christ is certain, sure and complete. “He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” (Hebrews 7:25)

Do you know for sure? If you don’t know for sure, could it be that perhaps you are placing your trust and hope in something else other than Christ? Are you trusting in your own goodness? Thinking that you’re not that bad and that you’ve done enough good to outweigh the bad, hoping God will understand that even though you’re not perfect, you meant well? If you think this way, you’re still on what Jesus called the road to destruction. You’re not trusting completely in Him.

“Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other.” (Isaiah 45:22)

“Seek the LORD while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near.” (Isaiah 55:6)



Being a Berean

by Scott Rossy
Berea was a New Testament city located in Macedonia that was visited by the Apostle Paul during his second missionary journey. Berea is first mentioned in Acts 17:10.

Before arriving in Berea, Paul first arrived in Thessalonica as is recorded in Acts 17:1-9. As was his usual custom when arriving in a city, he preached to the Jews in their synagogues, reasoning with them from the scriptures that Jesus is the Christ. While in the Thessalonian synagogue:

“Paul… reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and giving evidence that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, ‘This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.’ ”- Acts17:2,3.

After hearing Paul preach, some of these Thessalonians were persuaded and believed that Jesus is the Christ. After hearing this, the non believing Jews were jealous and became enraged. They formed a mob with some “wicked men” – Acts 17:5 and turned the city into an uproar, searching for Paul and Silas. Hearing that the crowd and the city authorities were being stirred up against them, “The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea” – Acts 17:10. Upon arriving in Berea, they immediately entered the synagogue there and again began reasoning with the Jews from the scriptures that Jesus is the Christ. And again, as in Thessalonica, “Therefore many of them believed” – Acts 17:12. But scripture records something very interesting about these Jews in that Berean synagogue. It states: “Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.”- Acts 17:11. Luke, the human author of the book of Acts, states under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that these Bereans were “noble minded”. That is God’s evaluation of them. There are 2 reasons given for this. 1) they received the word with “great eagerness” and 2) they “examined the scriptures daily” to see if what they were being told is true. This is what made them more noble than those in Thessalonica. Noble minded is better defined as being a “noble race” or a “better bred” people. Unlike most of the Thessalonians, the Bereans being a more noble, better bred people, were open and eager to what Paul had to say. As a result of the Bereans openness, “many” of them came to believe, whereas in Thessalonica only “some” of them believed. It wasn’t just that they (the Bereans) believed what Paul was preaching to them, but it was the eagerness that they showed in receiving the word. Their eagerness was demonstrated in the fact that they were examining the scriptures (the Old Testament) daily to confirm if what Paul was preaching was true. They could have just taken Paul’s word for it and believed. After all he was an Apostle who was given direct revelation concerning the gospel of Jesus Christ and the “mystery” of the church.

“For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ”. –Galatians 1:11-12. “ by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief. By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit” – Ephesians 3:3-5.

Not content to take the Apostles word, these noble minded Bereans chose to search the scriptures for themselves. The text doesn’t indicate that they doubted the validity of Paul’s preaching but that they were of such a noble character that they would naturally examine the scriptures for themselves. These Bereans were not only examining the scriptures to see whether these things were so, but they were also examining to have a better understanding of what it is they were being taught. So as Paul was “explaining and giving evidence that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, "This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ."- Acts 17:3, these Bereans were “examining” and comparing this new revelation that Paul was giving them concerning the Christ, with the Old Testament prophecies concerning the Christ. They did this “daily”. They didn’t want to just know what they believe, they wanted to know why they believe. After better understanding for themselves what the scripture teaches, they’d also be able to teach others as well. This searching, examining of the scriptures brings more glory to God. It shows a reverence and love for His Word. Remember, He is the one who called these Bereans noble minded. We therefore should carry this same mindset in us as these Bereans did. We, as His children, must strive to test and compare everything we hear with the Word of God. We who are bible believing Christians, who hold the position that the bible is the sole source of all authoritative truth and that it is the sole source for all matters of doctrine and practice are to test the validity of all teaching and all preaching with scripture to see if what we’re being taught is scripturally true. God has warned us repeatedly throughout scripture about the danger of false teachers and their infiltration into the church and the damage their teaching can cause. Much can be said of this. We are commanded to be diligent. It is especially important for us to be diligent in this massive information age that we live in. All of us are constantly being bombarded daily with information, opinions and teachings. Whether it be in the secular or spiritual realm, it never stops. Whether it be Christian radio, television, the internet, seminars or books, we are always being exposed to something that is trying to influence our beliefs, to affect our way of thinking. The battle for the mind never ceases. Sadly, most of what we are being exposed to is contrary to what the bible truly teaches. This is especially true in Christian circles. It may be overt or it may be very subtle, but much of what is peddled in the Christian community is contrary to the “sound words” – II Timothy 1:13. of scripture. We must strive for a biblical worldview in all things and strive to make sure that everything we believe is grounded in scripture. We should examine all our beliefs in light of the scriptures. If we are not sure that what we believe is derived from the clear teaching of the bible, we should study to find out what the bible teaches. Anything that is not in conformity with sound doctrine is to be discarded. As bible believing Christians, we need to sift everything through the Word of God, to “ examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil.” – I Thessalonians 5:21-22. With the leading of the indwelling Holy Spirit, this is what He has commanded us to do. We need to ask ourselves: Does scripture address this? What does scripture have to say about this? Is this (what we are being taught) scriptural? What is the context? These types of questions. It doesn’t mean that every teacher we hear is perfect in all that he teaches and never errs. It’s not about slamming a brother who misspoke. All human teachers are fallible and will err, but we must discern how his overall teaching compares with scripture. Was it just an honest mistake he made or is the thrust of his teaching nothing more than a twisting of scripture to suit his agenda? A true man of God, one who has truly been called by God to teach His word, will gladly be open to correction from the Word by his brothers. Pride will not be a concern for him. His only concern as one who will have to give an account of himself before the Lord will be to handle the word accurately and truthfully. There is an accurate way to handle the Word and there is an inaccurate way. The accurate way takes diligence and study on our part. As Paul told Timothy, ”Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.” –II Timothy 2:15. It’s not enough for a teacher to quote scripture. Many “bible” teachers will quote scripture, but are they quoting it out of context? The question is: Are they staying true to the (biblical) authors original meaning, or are they changing the authors original intent? Words have meaning and can’t be changed to suit ones agenda. Every word is in the context of a sentence. Every sentence is in the context of a paragraph. Every paragraph is in the context of a chapter. Every chapter is in the context of a book. Every book is in the context of the entire bible and all of scripture is in complete harmony with itself. The indwelling Holy Spirit gives us illumination, understanding, wisdom, conviction and discernment in all these matters. Proper hermeneutics are essential. It’s not a question of whether a teacher “uses” scripture; it’s a question of whether he is “teaching” scripture.

We who are Gods children should have the same “noble minded” eagerness in our day that the original Bereans had in their day. We need to know not just what we believe, but why we believe. To think biblically about all things. If we as “the light of the world” – Matthew 5:14. don’t know why we believe as we do, how can we possibly proclaim the truth to those who are still in darkness? How do we know that we aren’t being deceived ourselves in our beliefs? Just as the Bereans examined the scriptures daily to confirm the validity of what they were being taught, we are called to labor to do the same. Concerning the reading, exhortation and teaching of scripture, Paul commanded Timothy to “Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all. Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you. “ – I Timothy 4:15-16.

We are commanded to long for the pure milk of the word, to completely saturate ourselves with it, to think about it, and to meditate upon it. As we fill our minds and hearts completely with the Word of God, the Holy Spirit will speak to us in all situations. Not an audible voice, but He will bring to mind the scripture that we’ve hidden in our heart and give us discernment and the wisdom to apply the truth in all situations. He does not speak to us apart from His word but He does speak to us through His word.

Like the Bereans, let us be noble minded as well, not automatically accepting everything we hear, but examining everything carefully in light of the word, holding fast to that which is good and turning away from evil. Is there anything else more important?

“Do not be carried away by varied and strange teachings” – Hebrews 13:9

Does God Believe in Atheists?

by Scott Rossy
Atheists and Agnostics! Are they real? Are they honest in their views? An atheist being defined as someone who doesn’t believe in the existence of God, that there is no proof for His existence, therefore, he comes to the conclusion that the world has no Creator.

What does God say about people who make these claims? Are there really people who truly believe that there is no God? That there is no proof for the existence of God? According to scripture, the answer is no. No such people exist. Anyone who makes such a claim is a liar! God, who has spoken to us in His Word and Who is the only one Who can speak authoritatively about the heart, thoughts and mind of man, declares that every human being who has ever lived on the face of the earth since the creation of man, knows and understands that He does indeed exist. God has not left Himself without a witness. He has revealed Himself to all of humanity in one specific way, known as general revelation. God’s revelation to mankind is generally divided into two specific categories of revelation.

Two Kinds of Revelation
1) General revelation
2) Special revelation

General revelation states that God has revealed Himself through what He has created, the created world, through nature. He has also revealed Himself to the conscience of mankind.

Special revelation states that God has revealed Himself through Jesus Christ and through the scriptures.

While it’s true that not everyone has been blessed to receive His special revelation, (Jesus Christ and scriptures) it is true that everyone has been exposed to His general revelation through the world He has created.

First, He has revealed Himself to all of mankind through creation. What He has created is His witness. It reveals that there is a Divine Creator. Psalm 19 starts with:

“The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands” – Psalm 19:1

The heavens and their expanse, the open sky, are what is referred to here as speaking to all of humanity. They are “telling” and “declaring” two things: the glory of God and the works of His hand. “O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth, Who hast displayed Your splendor above the heavens! “ – Psalm 8:1. The heavens are telling, declaring and displaying. It is the work of His hands, His creation, that is on display before us. As we observe the mighty expanse of the heavens and its utter vastness, we can clearly see and contemplate all that He’s displayed: the sun, the clouds, the moon, the stars and the planets. These are all bearing witness of Him, and all of humanity has seen that witness.

“The heavens declare His righteousness, and all the peoples have seen His glory.” –Psalm 97:6

The “telling” and “declaring” in the heavens are a continual, ongoing testimony. They are constantly bearing witness for all to see and observe. They are continually telling of His glory and continually declaring the work of His hands. All that the heavens and the great expanse contain are called “the work of His hands” and “all the peoples have seen His glory. ” He is its Creator. Psalm 19 continues:

“Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words; Their voice is not heard” – Psalm 19: 2-3

“Day to day” and “night to night.” It’s a continual, ongoing revelation. A permanent, perpetual 24/7 revelation. Both day and night. Anybody, throughout the entire world can observe the expanse of the heavens during the day or night and learn from what is being revealed. What does this continual revelation reveal? “Knowledge.” The knowledge of God. The knowable things of God. Most things about God are hidden from mankind but this He has made evident to all of mankind. What’s been made known is the obvious knowledge that the world and all it contains has a Supreme, all Mighty, all Powerful, all Wise Creator. This can be known. It is knowable for mankind to understand and know that he(man) and the world around him has a Creator. It is not hidden from us. In fact it is both “clearly seen” and “evident.”

“For that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made”- Romans 1:19-20.

His divine nature and eternal power are what is evident. His divine nature refers to the fact that He is God. His divine nature and eternal power are both “clearly seen” and are “understood” by mankind. Through what has been made it can clearly be seen and understood that the One who created the world is an eternal all powerful God. If we never understood anything else from observing the creation, we should at least understand the fact that it was created by Someone, and that this Someone is of a far greater power and wisdom than us. God has placed within all of us the ability know this. It “is evident within them”.

“There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard”-v.3. There is not an audible voice speaking words from heaven, but what has been created and is on display in the heavens does speak forth massive volumes. His creation “pours forth speech.” The heavens and all it contains are not just speaking, they are pouring forth speech. It can’t be missed! All that has been displayed in the heavens and is presented before us, is a continual, ongoing “voice”. It testifies to the clearly seen, evident, obvious truth that there is a Divine Creator behind all that we see.

When speaking through the prophet Isaiah to an apostate Israel, a people who should have known better, God called on them to “Lift up your eyes on high and see Who has created these stars” so that they would remember that He is the Creator, the Almighty, the all Wise One. He reminds them through creation that He is the Creator saying:

“Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been declared to you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundation of the earth? It is He who sits above the vault of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in … Lift up your eyes on high and see Who has created these stars, The One who leads forth their host by number, He calls them all by name; because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power not one of them is missing.”- Isaiah 40:21-22,26

In Psalm 89 when He reiterates the Davidic covenant, the Lord again points to the witness of His creation when He refers to the moon as “the faithful witness in the sky.” Concerning His covenant with David, the Lord says “It will be established forever like the moon, the faithful witness in the sky”- Psalm 89:37. The moon, the stars, the sun, and the planets are all His witnesses, speaking and testifying of Him.

Not just Israel, but the entire human race is called to “Lift up your eyes on high and see Who has created these stars.” All humanity since the creation of time has this same witness. Anywhere in the world this witness is clearly seen and is evident. It’s visible for all to see. It does not take superior intelligence to see and observe what He has displayed before us. All that is seen in the heavens He has placed there to reveal a glimpse of His divine nature and eternal power. When we observe and contemplate the creation around us, it should cause us to be in awe of a Creator God with such power, glory, majesty, intelligence and might. When we think about how immeasurable the universe is it should cause us to contemplate how immeasurable and infinite the One who created it is! Through observation and human reason we will come to the conclusion that the world was founded by wisdom. There is an intelligence behind the design, structure and order of the earth and the heavens as they are on display before us. “The Lord by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding He established the heavens.” –Proverbs 3:19. “It is He who made the earth by His power, Who established the world by His wisdom; And by His understanding He has stretched out the heavens.” – Jeremiah 10:12. Things didn’t “just happen” by a chance explosion that created this design and order. That defies logic! The world was created by wisdom and understanding, not by chance.

All that’s been created continually pours forth speech that there is a Creator, and this Creator possesses infinite, unlimited, wisdom, understanding, power, might and majesty. These things reveal much about the One who created all things. There is much wisdom, understanding and beauty to be observed by contemplating His creation:

The awesomeness and power of the sun. It’s been placed at just the right distance from the earth to keep the temperature of the earth in the proper range that will sustain the inhabitants of the earth. If it were just a little closer it would cause the earth to burn up. If it were just a little further it would cause the earth to freeze.

We can also clearly see the beauty found in a sunset, cloud formations, full moons, eclipses, crescent moons and starry nights. All these heavenly bodies: the moon, the stars and the planets all continue on in their same fixed position just as when He created them. I remember as a little boy my mother pointing out to me the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper. When I look up and still see them today in their same fixed position as when I was a boy, it reminds me of His faithfulness, that He “upholds all things by the word of His power.” – Hebrews 1:3. and that “He calls them all by name; because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power not one of them is missing.”- Isaiah 40:26. If these things have continued to be true in my short vapor of a life on this earth, how much more awesome is it when we consider the fact that they’ve remained in place since the day He first called them into being

We can learn and observe the wisdom and understanding found in the migration of a flock of birds. Their order and structure, flying in formation, taking turns in the lead. It is understood that the bird that is leading the formation begins to tire more quickly than the other birds due to the fact that he is facing a greater wind resistance. Since the birds know this instinctively, they take turns in the lead to give each other a break. This is wisdom, built into them. A big bang cannot bring these things about. Only a wise, loving Creator would cause these things to be.

Mankind can also contemplate and understand the wisdom of God from observing what’s been created and placed with us here on earth. There is so much to be learned it’s astounding. Just studying botany, astronomy, insects, animals, the human body, the human brain, the human eye, the human heart, the laws built into nature, etc., we will see an amazing display of the fact that there is an intelligence of infinite wisdom behind all that we see. To name a couple: spiders and ants. A spiders’ ability to spin a web is incredible. The wisdom that is contained in their web spinning process, the building and construction, with their ability to catch their prey bears witness that an all wise, infinite God is behind their creation. The wisdom that is found by observing the workings of ants is also amazing. The teamwork, order and structure in which they carry out their tasks reveals the wisdom of their Creator in building these things into them. “Four things are small on the earth, but they are exceedingly wise: the ants are not a strong people, but they prepare their food in the summer.”- Proverbs 30:24-25. “Go to the ant, O sluggard, observe her ways and be wise, which, having no chief, officer or ruler, prepares her food in the summer and gathers her provision in the harvest.” – Proverbs 6:6-8. Even these tiny creatures have built into them the knowledge to understand the seasons and to prepare for their provisions.

What has been displayed in the heavens as well as what has been created on the earth is not limited to just a few to observe, but has been made known and is evident for all who dwell on the earth to see. Speaking of what is displayed in the heavens, Psalm 19 continues:

“Their line has gone out through all the earth, and their utterances to the end of the world.” V.4. Through all the earth, to the end of the world these things are displayed and seen. What is it these heavenly bodies are bringing with them to the end of the world? Their “utterances.” Again the point is driven home that they are speaking, bearing witness, testifying about the Creator who made them. The psalmist continues by speaking about the incredible presence of the sun.

“ In them He has placed a tent for the sun, which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber; It rejoices as a strong man to run his course. Its rising is from one end of the heavens, and its circuit to the other end of them; and there is nothing hidden from its heat.” – v. 4-6.
The presence of the sun, shining its light and bringing heat from one end of the heavens to the other end. The entire earth is covered by its light and heat. There is no place that the sun does not make itself visible. “there is nothing hidden from its heat.” Even a blind man is exposed to this tremendous witness in the heavens. He may not be able to see it, but he can surely feel the heat of the sun and can contemplate the effects of this incredible creation. Perhaps because he is blind, his senses are even more observant to what’s around him. He can hear the sounds of the birds, the sounds of the ocean waves crashing, and can understand the power and might of God. He can hear the sound of the breeze through the trees and can feel the wind blow. He as well as all of humanity can hear the sounds of crickets as well as all the other nighttime creatures. Man should contemplate and meditate on the creation around him. It is speaking volumes. Gods witness is all around us, for all to see and understand. It should cause us to be in awe when we considers the vastness and infinite wisdom, design and creativity of the world around us. God is not a part of and is separate from His creation, but if His creation is this vast and awesome, it only reveals how infinite the One who created it is in all His Being! When we consider these things, our proper response should be “When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained; What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him?”- Psalm 8:3-4. Our contemplation of these things will lead us to the correct conclusion that God is so infinitely awesome, and so far above us, that in comparison we are of very little significance. This should cause us to be in awe, that He’d even take thought of and care for us, thus causing us to give thanks, and bringing all the more glory and praise to Him.

Mans Response

So what does man do with the witness that God has revealed to him? Does he in response to this revelation seek after and worship and praise his Creator with a thankful heart? No. Man takes the clearly seen, evident truth that’s been revealed to him and suppresses that truth in his unrighteousness. Romans 1: 18-22:

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.” – Romans 1:18-22
These verses make it clear that man does indeed clearly know and understand that the world does have a divine Creator, but in response to that truth, he suppresses that truth in his unrighteousness. These scriptures are very clear that in reality there is no such thing as an atheist, and declare that all of humanity does indeed know the truth of the existence of God, because He has made it evident to us. The problem isn’t that there is no clear evidence before man in order for him to make an informed, reasonable decision. These verses are clear that “they knew God” and that His divine attributes are “clearly seen” and “understood.” As a result, the bible plainly states that man is “without excuse.” He has no excuse for rejecting and suppressing the clear plain truth that’s been revealed to him. Man in his rebellion against his Creator, refuses to “honor Him as God or give thanks.” Man not only knows and suppresses the truth about God, but in his idolatry places man at the center of his existence. Since man has rejected God, he has to believe in something. Something has to be the center of his existence. Man becomes the center. Man, instead of God is the reason for everything. God is left out. There is no place for Him in our world. Mankind, human wisdom, technology is essentially what is worshipped. Man decides for himself where he came from and where he is going. Man controls his own destiny. He decides for himself what is right and what is wrong. He does only what is right in his own eyes. He will not submit to or be accountable to God. Man’s accountability before God is rooted in the fact that God is his Creator, and that man has been created in His image. If He created everything, then He owns everything. He says, “The world is mine and all it contains.” – Psalm 50:12. If He created man in His image and placed him in the world He has created, He owns man, and is the God to whom man is accountable. He has the right to demand worship, obedience and allegiance from what He’s created. To avoid this and to soothe his conscience, man creates all sorts of silly theories about the origin of the world, all of which exclude God. God calls mankind fools, with darkened hearts, who are futile in their speculations. Man thinks he is wise and even professes to be so, but God’s evaluation of him is that he is a fool! “Professing to be wise, they became fools”. Some of the most brilliant, intelligent men in the world, scientist of a far greater intelligence than me, in their suppression of the truth are reduced to come up with their own, alternative theories. The most popular of these theories about the origin of the world is the big bang theory and evolution. This is what the stubborn, foolish, rebellious, hardened, darkened, futile heart of man produces. This is pathetic. Sadly, from Gods perspective, they are nothing more than educated fools.

"For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.” – Romans 1:21-22

“The fool has said in his heart, ‘there is no God’” – Psalm 14:1. ‘The wicked, in the haughtiness of his countenance, does not seek Him. All his thoughts are, ‘there is no God’.” – Psalm 10:4.
In exchange for the truth of God, the clear revelation of Himself that He has given to all humanity, man replaces that truth with a lie. This idolatry, pure and simple. Man refuses to worship God, and places himself at the center of his existence. This exchange, man worshipping himself, making himself his own god, is the center of the human condition. “For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.” – Romans 1:25.

Gods Judgment

In return for mankind’s rejecting and suppressing the truth of God and exchanging it for a lie, God in an act of judgment, gives man over to the control of his sin. Three times in Romans chapter 1 it is recorded that “God gave them over”. Gave them over to what? To the control and domination of their sin. We read, after man exchanged the truth and the glory of God for the lie, “God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them.” – Romans 1:24 “For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural.” – Romans 1:26. “And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper.” – Romans 1:28. “God gave them over”, God gave them over”, “God gave them over”. It is driven home three times. God gives man over to “the lusts of their hearts”, “degrading passions” and “a depraved mind.” Man does not want to acknowledge God, so He, in return gives man over to the control of his sin. This sin only hardens mans heart even more, which leads to more sin, which leads to mans heart being hardened even more, which leads to even more sin and on and on, until mans heart becomes totally depraved and callous, full of all sorts of evil.

“And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.” Romans 1:28-32.

Man is “being filled” with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed and evil. In the end, man will stand before his Creator and be judged for his sin and then sentenced to an eternal hell and separation from the God he has always rejected. It is an act of judgment for God to give someone over to the control of his sin, and it is an act of mercy and grace for Him to intervene in a person’s heart to convict them and chasten them for their sin, causing them to grieve over and be sensitive to their sin. “So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires.” – Romans 9:18. This is why He warns, “Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.” –Hebrews 4:7 and even as believers we are commanded to “Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.” – Proverbs 4:23. The heart is like a garden that needs to be continually tended to and cared for, kept soft. Sin has a very deceitful, hardening effect on our hearts which is why we are told to encourage one another, and why we are warned not to be “hardened by the deceitfulness of sin” – Hebrews 3:13.
The pattern is: The eternal God creates the world and all it contains, including man in His image. He clearly reveals Himself to all of humanity. In response, all of humanity rejects and suppresses the truth. In judgment of mans rejection of Him, God gives man over to the control of his sin, causing man to become even more hardened. In the end man is judged for his sin and sentenced to an eternity of suffering away from the presence of the Lord.

Man was created by God and for His purposes, and to bring glory to Himself, but man in his stubborn rebellion, denies God. This is the cause of all the evil in our world. Mans idolatry. His separation from his Creator. His refusal to submit to his Creator, and therefore being judged by Him and being given over to the control of his sinful, hardened, callous, deceived heart. Idolatry is the root of all mans problems and is his greatest sin. All other sins flow out from and are a result of the sin of idolatry. Knowing this, is it any wonder the world is in the condition it is in? Should we expect it to be any different? That’s why any attempts by Christians to clean up our culture or to “change the world for Jesus” are a waste of time. Mankind is existing under the judgment of its Creator. Only the gospel can change a person. “For it(the gospel) is the power of God.” – Romans 1:16, I Corinthians 1:18. and only it has the power to transform a spiritually dead sinner into a God honoring child of God.

Universal Guilt

This is true of all of us, even the redeemed of God, before we were saved. We are all idolaters. We believers were also “as the rest.” (“Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.”) – Ephesians 2:3. While it’s true that we, as well as most of the people on the earth never claimed to be atheists, we all do or did live our lives functioning as atheists. We won’t outright deny the existence of God. Much of humanity will acknowledge that there is a God and that He is the Creator. They may even have God in their thoughts from time to time, or very often, but they are still leading their lives on their own terms, living a lifestyle of stubborn self will apart from His Lordship. It was definitely true in my life before I came to know the Lord. I professed to know Him, but in reality, in my heart I didn't know Him. "They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed. " - Titus 1:16. I never denied His existence or the fact that He created everything. I always believed these things to be true. I was very conscious of Him and even had frequent thoughts of Him, but in my heart of hearts, I denied Him. The heart of man: the seat of mans affections, where his will, mind, thoughts, imagination, desires, loves and allegiances reside, is where God is denied. We do not honor Him as God or give thanks to Him or give Him the worship, praise and glory due Him. We don’t seek to live for Him. We live according to self will, living our lives as we see fit, deciding for ourselves what is right and what is wrong, following and conforming to the world’s spiritually dark system which leaves God out and is under the control and influence of the devil, the evil one ,who is called ”the god of this world.” - II Corinthians 4:4. We live in a world system described as the “cosmos”, that is under the influence of this evil one. We are all apart of and go along with this evil, anti-God world system that denies His rule and authority over His creation. There are no exceptions. We all start here. All of humanity is who is spoken of in Romans 1. The first three chapters of the book of Romans reveal the guilt of all humanity. “There is none who seeks for God.” – Romans 3:11. “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” – Romans 3:23 and we are “all under sin.” – Romans 3:9. The starting point of all humanity is to reject God and suppress the truth that’s been revealed to us. Only born again believers have passed from darkness to light and love the Lord and desire to obey and worship Him on His terms. This is why we as Gods children are commanded to no longer be apart of this evil world system that has allied itself against Him. “We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.” – I John 5:19. therefore, “Do not love the world nor the things in the world If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” - I John 2:15. and “do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” – James 4:4.

Anyone who denies that this is the true condition of all man and the world we live in should carefully consider what Romans 1 states. “Even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks.” - Romans 1:21. Can we truthfully say that humanity is honoring God and is giving Him thanks?

Not Enough

Is this enough? Is this sufficient revelation in order for man to be saved? Some Christians falsely teach that yes, man can be saved by responding to the revelation given in creation and be saved, without faith in Christ! But scripture teaches otherwise. There is enough revelation in creation to condemn man, but not enough to save him. There is enough light given to make man “without excuse”, before the Lord, but in order for him to be saved, he needs more revelation, special revelation. He needs the revelation of the Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Apart from this, man will remain eternally lost, under the judgment of God. Paul speaks of this need for the revelation of Jesus Christ in Romans 10. He teaches that a man must believe in the Lord Jesus Christ in order to be saved. He must believe in both the Person and the finished work of Christ on the cross. His death, His burial and His resurrection. Man must believe in Him in order to be saved. He must have faith in Someone. He cannot just observe the creation and gain enough truth to be saved. Belief in Christ is mandatory for one to be saved. For "WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED." – Romans 10:13 But Paul makes the point that in order for someone to be saved, they must first hear about the Person and work of Christ. Hearing the gospel of Christ is essential. Creation isn’t enough. He states: “faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” – Romans 10:17. In order for someone to have faith in Christ, they must first hear about Christ. Therefore he states, “How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, "HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING GOOD NEWS OF GOOD THINGS!" – Romans 10:14-15. The point is this: in order for someone to be saved they must first hear about the cross of Christ. They then must believe what they heard about Christ. But in order for them to hear and believe, someone must first preach the gospel to them. Someone must be sent, or go and bring the gospel to them. Then they hear what is preached and can believe in and call upon the One who is preached to them, and are saved. The revelation of creation does not reveal the work of Christ on the cross.

So why do people claim to be atheists? Is it that they’ve studied the evidence and truly can’t find any solid proof for the existence of God? No. Whenever we are talking with someone who makes the claim that there is no God or there is not enough evidence to determine if there is a God, remember that in reality we are speaking with someone who is suppressing the truth that has been clearly revealed to him. There is a spiritual reality at work here. It’s really an indication of the person’s hardness of heart and ultimate hatred of the Lord and his unwillingness to give Him the worship and glory that is due to only Him. Only by the mercy and grace of God working in a person’s heart can a person ever be turned around. This is solely His work and is done for His glory and praise Thankfully, He does do this in some of us. “He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires.” – Romans 9:18. Praise Him for His mercy and compassion. All we can do for anybody is pray for their salvation and share the gospel with them. We can’t change their spiritually dead heart, only the gospel can. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” – Romans 1:16.