The Christian Atheist

The Christian Atheist: Believing in God but Living As If He Doesn’t Exist
By: Craig Groeschel

"My selfish Christian Atheist view was that God existed for me, rather than I for him. If he'd do what I thought he should, I'd trust him more. If he'd come through for me, I'd give him more of my life. If he made my life better and pain-free, I'd believe him more passionately. But anytime God didn't meet my expectations, we had a problem. God created me in his image. I returned the favor and created him in mine. The kind of God I wanted to believe in was this: if he's not what I want, then he can't have my whole life."

A provocative title and important book. It's easy to call yourself a Christian. It's easy to say you believe in God. But it's hard to live like it. Have you ever thought there was no point to prayer? Have you ever questioned if God loves you, cares about you, or fights for you? Have you ever resented that evil people seem victorious and good people are sick, robbed, oppressed, killed? Do you spend time worrying about your kids or your job? Are you resigned to stay the way you are? Is a prominent goal in your life to just be happy? Are you jaded by the ways the church has failed you? Do you largely keep your faith to yourself? Congratulations, you're a Christian Atheist. Just like me.

It's not enough to just say I believe in God. This book challenged me in all the right ways. I can't devote my life to Christ and be okay with worry, okay with prioritizing money, happiness, comfort over faith, okay with criticizing God's church. With each chapter I had to do some self-reflection and ask myself- Is He Lord over this area of my life? Because if he isn't, I don't really believe He is who He says He is.

I love the use of the word 'atheist' because it shocks us. As Christians we scoff that we could ever be an atheist. After all, we believe in God and Jesus, we go to church, we usually pray, we're generally good, nice people. But if we're honest with ourselves we don't live like it. If we really know him for who he is then we wouldn't trust ourselves over prayer; we wouldn't make earthly happiness and a pain-free life our end goal and ultimate achievement; we wouldn't be afraid or resistant to change; we wouldn't treat God like his role is to serve us. And how often do I do that?? I need to take every thought captive and challenge myself daily- am I living or making choices like God exists or not? Do I truly live like I believe?

Let this book make you uncomfortable. And come away with a heart to know and believe in your God.

"'Whatever it takes' became my heart's cry. Whatever it takes to know him. Whatever it takes to live like I truly love God. Whatever it takes to love eternity more than this world. Even if I have to fight, scrape, and crawl away from my Christian Atheism into a genuine, crucified life of faith and radical obedience to Christ, I'll do whatever it takes."