Christian Atheist, Part 1: Knowing God

Knowing God vs. Just Believing in Him

Scripture References

Primary text

• Titus 1:16
• 1 John 2
• Matthew 7:21

Other references

• Galatians 4
• Psalm 63
• Psalm 9
• Ephesians 1:17-19

Overview

Most people say they believe in God, yet their daily choices act as if He isn’t real. Craig Groeschel calls this gap “Christian Atheism.” Drawing from Titus 1:16—“They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him”—he outlines three spiritual positions: believing without knowing, knowing without depth, and knowing God intimately while serving Him wholeheartedly. The goal of the message, and of the four-week series, is to move every listener toward genuine, growing intimacy with God.

Context

Groeschel opens the series by noting that 75 % of Americans believe in God, yet only a fraction live as Jesus taught. His term “Christian Atheist” is not a critique of atheists but a challenge to self-identified Christians whose lives contradict their confession.

Main Points

1. What a “Christian Atheist” Is

• Definition: someone who says, “I believe in God,” yet lives as if God does not exist.
• Titus 1:16 sets the tone—empty talk without corresponding action.

• Illustration: National stats on belief in God vs. observable lifestyles.

2. Level 1 – Believe in God but Don’t Know Him

• Intellectual assent is possible without relationship (even demons believe).
• Often expressed as “cultural Christianity” (“I’m not Muslim, so I guess I’m Christian”).
• 1 John 2 warns: claiming to know God without obedience makes us liars.
• Jesus’ sober words in Matthew 7:21-23—many religious performers will hear, “I never knew you.”

3. Level 2 – Know Him, but Not Well

• True salvation may have occurred, yet growth stalled; information has not become transformation.
• Galatians 4 believers had experienced God but were sliding back into former slavery.

• Story: Groeschel’s brief, exciting encounter with baseball legend George Brett—he can say he “knows” Brett, but just superficially. Many treat God the same way.

4. Level 3 – Know Him Intimately and Serve Him Wholeheartedly

• Marks: led by the Spirit, quick to repent, daily desire to glorify God, Scripture as nourishment, worship as lifestyle.
• Psalm 63 captures the language of intimacy—“earnestly I seek You… my whole being longs for You.”
• This is an ever-deepening relationship, like Groeschel’s 24-year marriage to Amy—still discovering new layers.

5. What You Call God Reveals How Well You Know Him

• “Big Guy” or “Man Upstairs” vs. “Father,” “Healer,” “Provider,” “Lord.”

• Illustration: The speaker’s various personal nicknames—only his kids call him “Daddy,” and only Amy calls him “Mega-Man.” Intimacy determines address.

• Psalm 9:10—those who know His name trust Him.

6. The Invitation: One Prayer Away

• God is not hiding; He promises, “Seek and you will find.”
• Ephesians 1:17-19 is prayed over the congregation: that God give “the Spirit of wisdom and revelation so that you may know Him better.”

Key Truths

• Belief without relationship produces a life that quietly denies God.
• Obedience and transformation are evidence that we truly know Him.
• Spiritual drift happens when we settle for familiarity instead of intimacy.
• The names we use for God mirror the depth of our experience with Him.
• God delights to reveal Himself; intimacy is available to anyone who seeks.

Response

• Examine your life for places where actions deny confessed belief.
• Move beyond cultural Christianity; pursue a personal, daily walk with Jesus.
• Cultivate intimacy by spending unhurried time in Scripture and prayer.
• Address God by the names He has revealed through your experiences with Him.
• Serve others wholeheartedly as an overflow of loving relationship, not obligation.

Closing

Craig Groeschel presses every listener to step closer—no matter the starting point. Some merely believe; others know God superficially; but God invites all into an ever-deepening friendship that overflows in obedient service.

“I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ… may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation so that you may know Him better.”

Prayer

The congregation prayed aloud, asking God to forgive their sins, fill them with His Spirit, reveal Himself more fully, and empower them to serve Him wholeheartedly from this day forward.