How to Reach an Atheist

For most Christians, giving the Gospel to an atheist is much like trying to nail jelly to a tree—it's an act of frustrating futility. A brief Google search will find dozens of articles that claim that atheism is the fastest growing non-religious movement with Americans blazing the trail into this new world of "No Religious Affiliation." Science is replacing the Bible. Faith in the human spirit is replacing reliance upon the Holy Spirit. Secularism is replaced spirituality. Entertainment is replacing church gatherings. And "reason" is replacing God.

Without going into the explanations for why this trend is growing, let me propose something radical: since atheism requires profound faith to believe in it, enough faith exists in atheists to draw them to the truth of God and of Jesus Christ. Atheism, at it's heart, is based upon faith. No human was present at the creation of the universe. There is no written record—outside of the Bible—and there are no witnesses—outside of God. Therefore, it takes faith to believe that everything in existence is the result of a cosmic accident known rather prosaically as the Big Bang.

Because this seed of faith exists, an atheist can be reached.

I've reached a number of atheists over the years because I capitalize on or utilize the seed of faith that exists within them. A common problem Christians have when talking to an atheist is that the Christian is always on the defensive, always trying to defend his faith as questioned by the atheist. First of all, this method of Gospel presentation is rarely successful, and secondly, it is not the Christian that needs to defend his faith. Keep in mind, you can't transfer faith. You can't make someone believe. But you can plant a seed in the faith that already exists in an atheist's heart.

Here is a common conversation I have with an atheist:

"I'm an atheist," the atheist says, figuring that this one statement will confound me. While his approach may usually work for others, in my case, I'm prepared.

"Oh really?" I respond, setting up a verbal trap. "I've only ever met two kinds of atheists. The first, and by far the smallest group, are atheists who are genuine. No one has been able to prove to them that God exists, and so they don't believe. But if someone could prove God's existence, they would believe, because they believe truth is more important than position. The second group consists of the vast majority of atheists I've ever met. These are the atheists that use atheism as an excuse to live the way the want to live so that they won't have to answer to a higher power or authority. Atheism is merely an excuse to live a certain way and not have to feel any guilt over life choices. They don't want to know the truth, and in fact, they hope God is not real." I pause here and look the atheist square in the eyes. "So which group are you in?"

I'm a firm believer that love is the best and easiest way to win someone to Jesus Christ. But often that love must have a shared platform in order to be accepted by the other. As long as the atheist and I are at odds, my love for him may be rejected or dismissed. But if I can establish a platform, then I can share that love. My Bible says, "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God" (Romans 10:17). If I want to win the atheist, I need to get him to willingly listen to the Word of God.

At this point, I've walked the atheist into a verbal trap. Almost universally, they say to me, "I'm in the first group. If someone could prove God's existence, I'd believe."

What I've done is put the ball in the atheist's court, put him on the defensive. I respond with a firm challenge, "Then I have a way for you to prove the existence of God. Come to my church for two months. Attend at least two services a week. Come without prejudice. Come to learn and ask questions. After each service, we'll talk about what you heard and answer any questions you may have. This isn't like when you attended church before—if you ever did. This is different. This time, you will come to see if there is truth to Christianity, not to see if there isn't. Until you do that, you can't say you've given it a fair shake. At the end of two months, if you still don't believe, then I will concede that you win."

I'm staking my own faith on this, but then God has never let me down. For the few—and yes, it is few, for most atheists are truly in the second group—who have taken my challenge, they have all converted within two weeks of being under the preaching of the Word of God. For those who don't take up my challenge, I have an avenue to keep going back to them. Their refusal gives me the moral high ground. It is they who must defend their actions and beliefs. Not me. With love and patience—particularly for a loved-one or friend—you may eventually get them to take your challenge and win them to Jesus Christ.

Greg S. Baker pastored a church for thirteen years. He now works as the single's pastor at a local church while writing books to help expand the Kingdom of God within the kingdom of man. His books cover topics that include Christian living, manhood, and the end times. He also writes Christian fiction, believing that fiction is a major avenue for sharing the truth of God's Word. To learn more about Greg and his work, visit http://thedivineingredient.com.