God is NOT holding out on you...

Satan spoke this half-truth to Adam and Eve: “God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:5, NIV)

The implication? God is not good. He’s holding out on you.

The solution Satan offers? Grab control. Be your own god.

I watched a fascinating two-hour plus debate between a Christian apologist, Frank Turek, and an avowed atheist, Christopher Hitchens, recently. The most stunning moment for me came when Hitchens was asked by a member of the audience: “What is the purpose of life?”

This is what he said. (Perhaps, it was all a joke. I hope so.)

“Well, I can only answer for myself,” he began. “What cheers me up? I suppose mainly gloating over the misfortunes of others…crowing over [their] miseries…And then there’s irony…”

Then, after a brief pause, he said this: “Sex can have diminishing returns, but it’s amazing.”

That played well with the college crowd to whom he was speaking. They laughed and applauded. When the ovation died down, he said, “…that’s pretty much it. Then it’s a clear run to the grave.”

Another joke? Hardly. At the end of the debate, about forty minutes later, Turek quotes from Hitchens’ book, god is not Great. On the last page of his book, Turek reports, Hitchens says this. “Very importantly, the divorce between the sexual life and fear, the sexual life and disease and the sexual life and tyranny can now, at last, be attempted on the sole condition that we banish all religions from the discourse.” (As taken from video.)

Hitchens, it seems, wants to be his own god so he can have sex as often as he likes with whomever he likes in whatever way he likes. Ironically, he hates the God whom he believes to be nonexistent, because that God restricts his fleshly appetites. Stunning!

What is the purpose of life? For this atheist, sex is the answer and since religion restricts sex.

Do you hear the liar behind his words? God is not good. Or has Hitchens titled his book, god is not Great. God is holding out on you. Grab control. Be your own god.

Friends, I have to tell you. God is not holding out on you or me. He has given us boundaries to keep us from harm. You know that if you think about it. Sin damages. Sin hurts. Sin shames. Obedience is difficult, but it does not wound. It does no harm. It brings no condemnation. The boundaries God has set are good. They fall, Psalm 16 says, “in pleasant places.” (NIV)

God is not a giant killjoy. He is an amazing joy giver. Obeying him is good and right and has its rewards. One of the benefits is joy. I’m not talking about happiness. That’s passing. I’m talking about joy – a despite-the-circumstances pleasure.

Can I say it again? God is not holding out on us when he says, “Don’t!” concerning any sin. He is protecting us. He is showing the way to joy, to peace, to life!

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