Tuesday, May 06, 2014
Are Rebels Covert Believers?
The evidence is everywhere: music
stars accepting Messianic praises, artists depicting Jesus in lewd situations,
actors cursing God and writers producing entire books about God being
irrelevant. It seems that when someone wants
to be outrageous, increase their ratings or stage the ultimate rebellion they
often resort to mocking God, berating Jesus
or devaluing Christian morals and values. This can be very offensive to sincere
believers, but it is also a "tell".
These sacrilegious displays could be proving that deep inside the
mockers are very aware of a sovereign
God.
Think about it. Why rave against something that does not
exist? Why spend hours or years creating
a piece of art that degrades a being that is not even real? Why don't these rebels create outrageous art
exhibits mocking Snow White or Bigfoot? Why
don't hurting people shake their fist at the sky and blame the Tooth Fairy for injustice
in the world? Here is the most obvious
answer: rebels survey the universe, find the most powerful entity they can find, and then rail against
Him. Their obsession with sacrilegious
scenes and innuendos reveal that deep inside it bothers them that someone else
is in charge of the universe and He is not running it to their liking. In a
sense they are covertly, or at least subconsciously, admitting the power and
sovereignty of the entity they attack.
Whenever anyone irreverently compares
themselves to God or Jesus, they are essentially admitting that He is the ultimate
standard... the leader of the pack... the One in charge. Those who may, even now, become angry at
these words I am writing must ask themselves, "Why do comments like these
make me so mad? I don't get that mad
when people express their faith in Bigfoot or the Loch Ness Monster. Why does this "Jesus" stir
something deep in my spirit?" That
stirring is evidence that God is more than a concept; He is the Creator who
made us and gave us life. It is no
wonder talk of Him stirs us deeply.
Mankind is instinctively aware of his
Maker. This is how the Apostle Paul
explained it: "The truth about God is known to them instinctively. God has
put this knowledge in their hearts. From the time the world was created, people
have seen the earth and sky and all that God made. They can clearly see his
invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse
whatsoever for not knowing God" (Romans 1:19-20, New Living Translation).
Because our popular culture, in an
effort to feel powerful and in control, has railed against the idea of a
sovereign God, many people will claim they don't believe He exists. For some
that may be true but there are indications that for some it is just talk. Last year the Pacific Standard reported that a Finnish study concluded that
" The heads and hearts of atheists may not be on precisely the same page.
That’s the implication of recently published
research from
Finland, which finds avowed non-believers become emotionally aroused when
daring God to do terrible things." The article concluded that "... even for committed non-believers, it’s difficult to totally erase the
idea of God from one’s psyche."
Maybe all of the railing and mocking is a heart-felt response to a God
who they instinctively know is real, but who they don't trust to be in charge.
I can tell you from experience there
is something much more fulfilling and powerful than sacrilege and
rebellion. Admitting that Jesus is Lord
and committing your life to Him is the most powerful and freeing experience
available. Overtly expressing your faith
in God will set you right with the universe - something your heart knows you
should do.
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