No, the title of this article is not a contradiction of terms. Atheists might define themselves as those who do not believe that a God or gods exist, but the fact is, they do worship a god whom they have created.
Human beings must devote themselves to something of worth in order to find meaning and purpose in life. The origin of the word “worship,” is from the ancient English word “woerthship” or worth-ship: to place worth or value upon something or someone. People worship God because they believe there is worth in Him; and He is worthy of their time, energy, resources, and attention.
This same principle is also applicable to those who do not believe in God. They also devote themselves to the things they love—such as work, pleasure, money, possessions, a hobby, sports, art, music, or another person. There are many things people devote themselves to in a personal act of worship.
In this regard, even the non-spiritually religious become materially religious in the pursuit of their passions or pleasures.
Made For God
The first commandments that God gave to man was: “have no other gods before me and do not make the image of a god.” The reason for these commandments is clear. God is the greatest Being that exists in the universe. If we devote ourselves to anything less than God, we will suffer the loss of life’s most precious treasure.
God does not suffer loss, or gain anything from what man does or fails to do. He is neither enhanced or diminished by man’s worship or hatred of Him. God exists independent of His creation and has need of nothing.
It is we who are hurt by devotion or worship to created things rather than to the Creator of all things. People are strange in that they will worship the stars, trees, nature, or other created things, but not the One who made all these things.
Perhaps it is because we can see these things and we cannot see God, that it is easier for us to set our affections on what is before us. In reality, God is always before us and never leaves us. It is only we who fail to recognize that God is Spirit and is present at all times, though we cannot see Him in bodily form.
When God finally came to earth in the form of a man, we still did not recognize Him. Instead, the world despised Jesus, rejected Him, beat and crucified the Lord of Glory.
The entire population of the world today suffers because they choose to worship the temporary rather than the Eternal God for whom they were made.
Created To Worship
By his very nature, man is a creature who is compelled to worship. God declared, in His word, that this is true because He created us this way. We were made for God; and until we find our purpose in Him, we will always be searching for meaning and purpose in our life.
For in him we live and move and exist. ~Acts 17:28 (NLT)
Psalms 42 declares what is in the deep recesses of man’s heart—a desire to know and worship God:
As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. ~Psalms 42:1-2
One of the first things that happens to a person who commits their life to Jesus is a stunning realization that they have found what they were searching for in life. I have had the great honor of being in the presence of several people who have spoken these words after they invited Jesus into their life. Many have told me, “I don’t know why I waited so long. This is what I have been searching for my whole life.”
One of the preeminent differences between religion and a relationship with Jesus Christ is the reality that He comes to live inside us.
We see this truth in a prayer that Jesus spoke to the Father, in John 17, and a promise that Jesus made to those who trust Him, in John 14.
Father…I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me. ~John 17:23 (NLT)
Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. ~John 14:23
Many people have asked me, over the past 42 years, why Jesus is any better than all the other religions of the world. The answer is clear and stunning: He comes to live in us.
There is no religion or god who makes the claim that when we believe in them or follow their teaching, they will come and live their life inside us. It is this Eternal and indestructible life that Jesus possesses as Creator, which takes up residence in us, that makes Jesus a God superior to all other alleged gods.
It is Jesus living inside us that is the power that will raise us from the dead—never to die again.
But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. ~Romans 8:11
Who Created God?
The atheists asks, the question, “Who created God?,” assuming that His existence necessitated a cause. This is a fundamental error that atheists make in their inability to perceive God. They imagine that God must be created. Those who do believe in God do not believe in a God who came into existence at some point in time. In this manner, Christians also do not believe in the kind of God that the atheists do not believe in.
The God who is described by the Bible had no beginning. This is the God we are describing here.
The fallacy of insisting that God must have a creator Himself runs an illogical circle of never-ending gods who were each made by a god before them.
In Order For One Who Is Truly God To Exist, He Must Be Singular And Uncreated
Let us consider this premise: The term “God” is defined as a Being who is perfect in every regard. Any being who is not perfect would not be God, with a big “G” he would simply be one god amongst many imperfect gods, little “g.”
The exclusive example of God existing as more than one is found in the Bible. The Biblical God is a compound unity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; meaning that three persons are all described as one God. The Hebrew name for God אֱלֹהִים ’ lôhîym (Elohim) is plural, a unity of Three.
Perfect Unity is the only way that three Beings who are perfect could be understood. Only if these three were in complete unity of mind, will, and purpose could they function as one God. It would be impossible for several Beings to exist as separate Gods. Their lack of unity would define them as less than perfect, therefore not God.
A part of perfection is unity. Unity is defined as “the state of being united or joined as a whole.” In mathematics, unity is defined by the number one therefore, three persons who are perfect must exist in perfect unity as one. For this reason, the true God must be singular.
Since there can only be one God (big G), this first premise requires that He must be perfect in every regard, incapable of error. If God were able to commit error, He would not be perfect, and therefore he could not be God.
Since God is perfect, He must also be eternal. For no created being, who came into existence at some point in time by the work of one who existed before him, could be perfect since he has relied upon one before him for his existence. The fact that a god could be created removes the certainty that he is perfect—lacking the ability to exist before and apart from all other things.
In this regard, any created being could not be God (big G).
When atheists ask the question, “who created God?”, they are implying that the kind of God they are thinking of is a created God. In this regard, this kind of being is a logical impossibility.
The fact that a created god requires one before him for his existence would define his creator as greater than the one he has made. If we continue to follow all of these created gods back to their source, we never arrive at one who is the original and the source of all others.
If, however, God can be defined as singular, with no beginning, having no creator and being eternal—this God would be perfect and would fulfill the true definition of God.
This is precisely the definition of the God who is revealed in the pages of the Bible.
“You are My witnesses,” says the LORD, “And My servant whom I have chosen, That you may know and believe Me, And understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, Nor shall there be after Me. —Isaiah 43:10
…Is there a God besides Me? Indeed there is no other Rock; I know not one. —Isaiah 44:8
Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever You had formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God. —Psalms 90:2
By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. Psalms 33:6
The God of the Bible is eternal, has no beginning, and was not formed by any god before Him. He simply exists and always has. This God is perfect, knows all things, is unlimited, and does not require a cause for His existence.
By His perfection and eternality, this God is superior to all other gods and religions of the world.
See my new book: “Why Jesus is God, And Others Are Not,” to understand the complete nature of God as He exists singular, eternal, perfect, and unique amongst all other gods and religions of the world.
We Understand God By His Love
Love is not a quality of emotion that originated with mankind. The very embodiment of what love is and does came from who God is. The very nature of God is love. He imparted His love to us so that we could know Him and express our own love back to Him. We learn what real love is by seeing what God has done because of His love for us.
He created a universe that is specifically made for people. He designed it in such a way that many different and necessary physical constants would be in place from the beginning that would allow us to live on earth. Every day of our lives our hearts beat, lungs breathe air, brains control our bodies; and we live on a planet perfectly prepared for us.
Critics say that we are all just an accident, living on a planet that just happens to be in the right place at the right time so that we can live here.
When we actually take a close look at how many things were necessary in order for people to live on earth, we are struck by the millions of precise events that were necessary in order to make human existence a reality. Critics say that all of these wonderful attributes of life are simply accidents.
In truth, there are far too many coincidences that would have been necessary to believe that we are all here as a result of luck or happenstance.
Anyone who truly believes that life is an accident, rather than a purposeful and precise plan, is living in a fantasy world. The faith that is required to imagine that every beautiful and pleasant thing that makes life so wonderful just happened by chance, is immensely greater than to simply believe that someone loved us and made all of this for us to enjoy.
I think that sometimes we get fooled by people who want to rob us of the wonderful knowledge that God loves us and believe the lies that the universe is a cosmic accident. Critics say our lives have no real purpose, and the universe doesn’t really care if we are here or not.
The universe may not care, but God certainly must care. He has demonstrated His great love by creating and placing us on this unique and exceptional planet. When the first human beings rebelled against God, He didn’t cast us aside. He promised to come and rescue the world so that we would not all be lost. He sent His only Son to become one of us and die in our place at the judgment for our sins.
The atheist manifesto is without hope, and rests upon no promise of anything past death. The promise of God who loves us is eternal life and a world without sickness, suffering, or death.
The atheist does not know what happens at death. He is betting that nothing happens, and we all cease to exist. The God who made us for eternity said that it is appointed for man to die once and after this comes the judgement.
It matters how we live, what we say and do. God cares whether we trust Him or cast His love aside. Every person has the witness of God’s presence in their soul, and they know that He must exist. Whether a person chooses to admit what they know or deny what is self-evident, we all understand that God is real and this life is not all there is.
God has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also put eternity in every heart, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end. ~Ecclesiastes 3:11 (RCR)
Our lives do not end at death; they simply transcend earth and enter eternity.
See my new book: “Why Jesus is God, And Others Are Not,” to understand how the love of Jesus is unique amongst all other religions and gods.
Other Gods
When we examine all of the other gods of this world, we find common denominators. For one, they are usually the creations of men and their imaginations. The Bible defines all of these man-made gods as empowered by demons who are fallen angels masquerading as gods.
What am I saying then? That an idol is really a god? No!, The things which the Gentiles sacrifice to these gods, they really sacrifice to demons and not to God ~1 Corinthians 10:19-20 (RCR)
The gods of myth and legend all resemble the nature of men. They have tempers that tend to flare. They are full of wrath, and destroy without justification. They are adulterous, murderous, lacking moral perfection, and are nearly identical in their behavior to that of human beings. This is because they are not real, but simply the creations of men.
Gods Of Myth, Legend, And Lore
A common objection for critics is the idea that the God of the Bible is superior to all other gods of the world.
When we actually examine these other gods and religions, we see a stunning difference.
- The God of the Bible is Personal; all other gods are impersonal and often unknowable.
- The God of the Bible is uncreated and has no beginning; other gods are created beings who had a beginning.
- The God of the Bible is sinless, perfect in every regard; gods of other religions, myths, and legends are consistently imperfect, and display characteristics similar to human behavior.
- The God of the Bible is loving, compassionate, patient, kind, and merciful; all other gods do not possess these desirable attributes.
- The God of the Bible is a righteous judge who makes determinations based upon the heart and motives of a person; other gods cannot see into the heart of a person, nor do they know their true motives.
- The God of the Bible is the Creator of all that exists; other gods are a part of the creation but did not create the universe.
- The God of the Bible is compassionate and understanding in the fallen human condition. He departed heaven to become one of us in order to secure our salvation. All other gods are insistent that they are served and honored, and none would ever die for a human being.
- The God of the Bible has made over 3,500 prophecies—2,500 of which have already been fulfilled without error. The gods of this world do not have the ability to accurately predict the future, nor do they know their own future.
- The God of the Bible is all powerful and cannot be overcome by evil in any form. The other gods have limited power and cannot defeat all enemies or adversaries. They are often overcome by more powerful gods.
Many gods of this world are imaginary, carved from wood or cast from metal. These gods exist only in ideals but not in reality.
How foolish are those who manufacture idols. These prized objects are really worthless. The people who worship idols don’t know this, so they are all put to shame. Who but a fool would make his own god—an idol that cannot help him one bit? All who worship idols will be disgraced along with all these craftsmen—mere humans—who claim they can make a god. ~Isaiah 44:9-11 (NLT)
Many of the gods who exist in religions of the world are mortals or men themselves who have ascended to the position of a god. The God of the Bible has stated that only He is truly God, and exists as a non-material Spirit-Being.
This is what the Lord says—“I am the First and the Last; there is no other God. Who is like me?Let him step forward and prove to you his power. Let him do as I have done since ancient times when I established a people and explained its future. Do not tremble; do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim my purposes for you long ago? You are my witnesses—is there any other God? No! ~Isaiah 44:6-8 (NLT)
In all religions except those who trust in Jesus for their salvation, a works-based redemption is necessary. Those who make themselves a part of these particular religions must keep a code of behavior in order to be saved. The final destiny of the member is often unknown until that person dies.
In the case of a Mormon member, their eternal salvation is in the ultimate hands of the church founder, Joseph Smith. No Mormon can get into heaven without his express permission, even if they have a perfect record of obedience.
“No man or woman in this dispensation will ever enter into the celestial kingdom of God without the consent of Joseph Smith. From the day that the Priesthood was taken from the earth to the winding-up scene of all things, every man and woman must have the certificate of Joseph Smith, junior, as a passport to their entrance into the mansion where God and Christ are” ~Journal of Discourses, Vol. 7, p.282-91
The God of the Bible wanted us to know that we can be saved by our simple willingness to turn to Him. If we will trust in Jesus for our salvation, we can know for certain that we have eternal life as a present possession.
These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. ~1 John 5:13
All religions and churches of the world have methods of redemption that are far different from those prescribed by Jesus’ death and resurrection.
The followers of Jesus are saved by God’s grace (unmerited favor), through their faith in what Jesus has done for them in dying for their sins. In all other religions, the participant, must, themselves, be perfect in their behavior before admission is granted. Christianity is unique amongst all religions in that salvation does not depend upon the performance of those who want to be saved, but upon Jesus who is saving them.
What is unique about Jesus, in contrast to other religions and the reason that He claims to be the only way to heaven is His unique, sinless character and record of sinlessness while living as a man on earth.
Jesus Claimed He Was Without Sin
But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? ~John 8:45-46
Either Jesus is telling the truth, or He is lying. If Jesus is lying about being sinless, then He is a sinner, just like all other men. If Jesus is a liar and deceiver, how could He also have the power to heal the sick and raise the dead? If men who are sinners can command a person to see again, walk who are paralyzed, or raise them from the dead, why don’t we see sinful men today with the ability to heal or raise the dead?
The evidence that is presented to us confirms that Jesus was sinless, or He never could have done the things that are written of Him.
The men who didn’t believe that Jesus was God, at first, later confirmed that they had never seen Jesus sin in the nearly four years they knew Him.
Paul: For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. ~Hebrews 4:15
Peter: but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. ~1 Peter 1:19
When we examine all of His behavior in the four Gospels, there is no record or mention of any sins that Jesus committed. This distinguishes Jesus as the only sinless human being in existence, and therefore qualified to be the Savior of the world.
A Life Of Infinite Value Required
Because Jesus is the Eternal God, His life is of infinite value, and therefore sufficient to pay for the lives of all other people who will be born on the earth.
Every other god or person who asserts that they are the way to heaven are imperfect, non-eternal, and do not possess a life of eternal value to redeem everyone on earth.
Only Jesus rose from the dead, never to die again, as a sign that His death was the only acceptable and complete payment for the sins of all people.
These unique and stellar attributes of Jesus set Him apart from all other religions and gods, and make Him the only perfect and worthy Savior of the world.
Other gods
When we examine other gods and religions, we see that their precepts and principles are drastically different from what we learn about Jesus in the New Testament. This is important because we find in this world that counterfeits are often similar to the genuine, but less-than, or incomplete in comparison.
This article contains excerpts from the newest publication of Robert Clifton Robinson, “Why Jesus Is God, And Others Are Not“
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Categories: Atheists, Agnostics and Skeptics, Common objections by Atheists, God is Eternal, God is Singular, Inability to perceive evidence for God, Robert Clifton Robinson, The Existence of God, The Nature of God, Why Jesus Is God And Others Are Not
Robert Clifton Robinson 
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