“He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth” (Isaiah 53:7 ESV). Seven hundred years before Christ’s birth, Isaiah prophesied with astonishing accuracy about the Messiah’s
Chapter: 53
ATHEISM IS NOT A CONDITION OF THE HEAD BUT THE HEART
“Only fools say in their hearts, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, and their actions are evil; not one of them does good!” (Psalm 53:1 NLT). The atheist usually lays claim to an intellectual position to support their unbelief. However, the Bible says that atheism is not a condition of the head, but the
“All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all” (Isaiah 53:6 NLT).
GOD HAS LAID OUR SINS UPON CHRIST JESUS Seven hundred years before Christ Jesus, the Lord gave the prophet Isaiah a description of His coming. There are two types of Messianic prophecies revealed in the Old Testament. Both are seen in Isaiah. The first is the Messiah as conquering king, who will rule the nations
“He was pierced because of our transgressions, crushed because of our iniquities; punishment for our peace was on Him, and we are healed by His wounds.” (Isaiah 53:5 HCSB).
CHRIST’S CRUCIFIXION PROPHESIED CENTURIES BEFORE Seven hundred years before Christ Jesus, the Lord gave the prophet Isaiah a description of His coming. There are two types of Messianic prophecies revealed in the Old Testament. Both are seen in Isaiah. The first is the Messiah as conquering king, who will rule the nations from the throne
“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6 NKJV).
THE LORD HAS LAID OUR INQUITY UPON CHRIST JESUS Seven hundred years before Christ Jesus, the Lord gave the prophet Isaiah a description of His coming. There are two types of Messianic prophecies revealed in the Old Testament. Both are seen in Isaiah. The first is the Messiah as conquering king, who will rule the
“He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not” (Isaiah 53:3 ESV)
Isaiah prophesied 700 years before the Messiah’s coming of the rejection and hatred that the He would endure. Isaiah described in incredible detail the circumstances surrounding Christ’s crucifixion and even His burial (“with a rich man” v.9), yet as his prophecy predicted, He was “rejected by men.” Christ Jesus took on our sin and our sorrow. He suffered great physical pain at our hands, but perhaps His greatest pain was that of our rejection and disdain. As the gospel of John declared, “He came to his own and they did not receive him. Yet, as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:11-12).
“God looks down from heaven on the children of man to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God” (Psalm 53:2 ESV)
The psalmist David wrote that God is continually looking for one that would seek Him with understanding. The implication was that there were none among the “children of man” that truly sought God. They might seek a place or a theology, or even God’s hand. But who was seeking the Lord’s face with understanding? David didn’t see anyone. And so, he exclaimed, “Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!” (Psa. 53:6). David’s prayer was answered when God sent Jesus. For it was Jesus who clarified what it meant to seek God with understanding. He said that God is seeking those that would worship Him “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23-24). Then, He revealed Himself as the Christ, the One by whom we might be born again in the Spirit, and the One who is the Truth by which we might worship God with understanding. God is still looking. He is looking to see what we will do with Jesus.
‘The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, doing abominable iniquity; there is none who does good” (Psalm 53:1 ESV)
The atheist usually lays claim to an intellectual position to defend their unbelief. However, the Bible says that their true problem is not reason, but a lack of righteousness. It isn’t the atheist’s mind that rejects God, but his heart. And having refused God entrance, he can find no better candidate for divinity than himself. So, atheism is really humanism at heart. Yet God “looks down” to see who will seek His face. Who will open both their hearts and minds to Him? Those that truly seek God will find Him. This is wisdom.
“The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, and have done abominable iniquity; There is none who does good” (Psalm 53:1 NKJV)
The atheist usually lays claim to an intellectual position to support their unbelief. However, the Bible says that their true problem is not reason, but a lack of righteousness. It isn’t the atheist’s mind that rejects God, but his heart. And having refused God entrance, he can find no better candidate for divinity than himself. So, atheism is really humanism at heart. Yet God “looks down” to see who will seek His face. Who will open their hearts and minds to Him? Those that truly seek God will find Him. This is wisdom.
“Only fools say in their hearts, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, and their actions are evil; not one of them does good!” (Psalm 53:1 NLT)
Atheism is a heart not a head condition. The atheist claims intellectual reasons for unbelief, but the root actually lies in a “corrupt” heart. This condition of the heart is like a computer program with corrupted files, it does not respond as its designer planned. Intellectual proofs will not change a corrupted heart. A spiritual heart transplant is required.