Hey, it's me again.  So there is this extremely weird guy on my bus, and he is an atheist.  How do I lead him to Christ?  God is not dead.

Sincerely,
Trying To Teach

Dear Trying To Teach,

Ironically, the Bible doesn’t say much to those who believe that we are all a cosmic accident.  The only verse in the Bible that specifically deals with atheism is Ps 53:1 which says, “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ ”  From God’s perspective, there is so much abundant evidence of a Creator that an honest heart will admit it.  Statistically, this is also true – even with the rampant spread of evolutionary teachings, only a miniscule percentage (1.6%) of the American population consider themselves atheists.  Rom 1:20 states that God built the universe, so it might stand as ever-sufficient evidence of His existence.

Studying Creation evidence is an enjoyable and wonderful thing.  We here at AYP have an entire section devoted to Bible Evidences, but ultimately, if someone has totally disregarded the existence of God… Psalm 53:1 says they will be a very hard nut to crack.  If he is honestly willing to look at the evidence though, we have found some luck in referring atheists to the books Case For A Creator by Lee Strobel and Has God Spoken? by A.O. Schnabel.  Both books are well worth the read, and well worth sharing.

     I know that I cannot change my husband's mind about being a Mason and a Shriner, but I do worry about his salvation.  He reads those books, but never, I mean never, picks up the Bible to read.  I have mentioned to him about reading the Bible as well as the Masonry book, but he does not say anything.  Because of the Masonry and Shriners, he believes that if he works, he can be saved that way.  I have tried to explain to him that we are only saved because of God's grace and that we have to believe in Jesus alone in order to be saved, that our works will not save us.  He is a good man, and I pray for him.  Is there anything else I can do?  If not, would you please pray for him as well?  Thank you.

Sincerely,
Worried Wife

Dear Worried Wife,

A Christian should never be a Freemason.  There are those who believe that the two are compatible, but this is typically because they haven’t reached a level of the Masonry organization that reveals the occult and anti-Scripture practices involved in the organization.  Ignorance is the reason for most involvement with Freemasonry, but it isn’t an excuse.  Everyone is responsible for seeking the truth for themselves (Php 2:12) and testing all teaching against Scripture (1 Jn 4:1).

Which brings us to your question – what can you do for your husband?  You can show him Scriptures like Tit 3:5 and Rom 3:27 that teach that we can’t be saved by works or any great acts of virtue – all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23).  However, it sounds like you have done that.  All that is left is to pray for him and let your quiet life of godliness work on his heart (1 Pet 3:1).

     What is the seal of God?  Is it the seventh day Sabbath as the Seventh Day Adventists say?

Sincerely,
Counting To Seven

Dear Counting To Seven,

The seal from God is the Holy Spirit – Eph 1:13 specifically says that.  We are sealed and guarded by the Holy Spirit when we do what the Holy Spirit tells us to do.  The Holy Spirit speaks to us through the words He had written in the Bible (read “What The Holy Spirit Does?” for more details).

The Sabbath was a holy day for the Jews, not for Christians.  The Old Testament has a myriad of laws that are no longer binding in the New Testament: animal sacrifice, clean and unclean foods, and various festivals… just to name a few.  2 Cor 3 is an entire chapter devoted to explaining how the Old Law has been surpassed by the New Law.  2 Cor 3:3 especially clarifies the issue when it states that our law is “not in tables of stone”, a direct reference to the Ten Commandments that were written on stone tablets.

Gal 3:24-25 makes it clear that the Old Law was a tutor to bring mankind to Christ, but now that Christ has come, we are no longer under that tutor.  The Sabbath is a part of that Old Law.  In the New Testament, christians meet on the first day of the week to worship, take the Lord’s Supper (Acts 20:7), and take up a collection (1 Cor 16:1-2).  In short: different covenants, different days.

The Old Testament law given by Moses was a covenant with the Jews (Deut 5:1-5).  The New Testament law given in Christ is for all of mankind (Acts 2:38-39).

Who changed the law?  God did.

When did it change?  When the church began.

Recently, I’ve been struggling with my faith.  I am eighteen years old.  I was wondering... why does it feel like the entire world is becoming atheist or agnostic?  Whenever I go on the internet, it seems like there's always some argument about why believing in God is stupid.  People bash the Bible all the time at school.  I am afraid to go to college now because I feel like I will lose my faith all together.  I find it really hard to believe.  My brother even told me today that he is "agnostic".  I feel very lost right now.

Sincerely,
Disheartened

Dear Disheartened,

The U.S. is struggling with losing its biblical ties, but it isn’t as bad as we perceive it to be.  Statistically, only about 4% of Americans categorize themselves as atheistic or agnostic.  That means that the vast majority of the United States believes in God.  Sadly, the voices most often heard in media and culture make it sound like only a fool would believe in God.

Ironically, the Bible says the opposite (Ps 53:1).  The responsibility that Christians have is to make the evidence of God’s existence clear in a culture that is opposed to God.  The evidence of God’s existence is staggering.  We recommend you read our articles “Does God Exist?” and “Who Wrote The Bible?” because both of those articles cover some of the evidence that will help you stand firm by your convictions – you might even share some of it with your brother.

Hang in there.  It sounds like you could use a faithful congregation, so you don’t feel so alone.  The Bible says that is one of the purposes of the church (Heb 10:24-25).  Not all churches do this, but we would be happy to help you find a congregation near you that is faithful, gives Bible answers, and will help you to stand strong.  Just e-mail us at askyourpreacher@mvchurchofchrist.org.

     What do you think of the TV show Long Island Medium?  She claims she can talk to dead people, and the TV show does a good job portraying that she can actually talk to the dead.

Sincerely,
Remotely Interested

Dear Remotely Interested,

Mediums are frauds, and God has always condemned them (Lev 20:27).  Television has a way of portraying reality the way they want you to see it.  Magicians really make it seem like they pull the rabbit out of thin air, but we know it is just an illusion.  Reality television has illusions, too.
The only account in the Bible of a medium talking to the dead was in 1 Sam 28:12, and the medium was just as surprised as everyone else when God sent Samuel to warn Saul!