Steve Gaines

How does someone become an atheist? Often a person who claims to be an atheist grew up with some exposure to religion. Perhaps he was taught about Jesus Christ. Yet somewhere along the way, that person began to sink downward in the digression of sin.

Psalm 1:1 says, “How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers!”

The Counsel of the Wicked - The downward spiral of sin begins when a person begins to take guidance, advice, and direction from ungodly people instead of from God and His Word. He becomes indoctrinated with worldly wisdom, which James 3:15 says is “earthly, natural (unspiritual), and demonic.”

The Path of Sinners - Once that person believes the lies of “the counsel of the wicked,” he becomes more willing to associate with sinners. As a person thinks, so he will act. His godless beliefs based on man’s wisdom produce sinful behavior. The more he sins, the harder his heart becomes toward Jesus and the things of God.

The Seat of Scoffers - Unless a person accepts Jesus as his Lord and Savior, he can potentially become a “scoffer.” A scoffer is someone who is not merely hard toward the things of God; he literally becomes hostile. He is an atheist who hates Jesus Christ, the Bible, and Christians. He wants no mention of Jesus in the public arena. He mocks Christianity and hates God’s truth.

Sin has a downward pull, and it begins when someone embraces ungodly counsel. Such counsel leads to sinful living. If left unchecked, the person even becomes an atheist—a mocker of Jesus and His church. Do not go near this downward path. Rather, let Jesus lift you and set your feet on the rock of the eternal truth of His Word, the Bible.