Letter from an Atheist and C.T. Studd

sermonindex Jan 8, 2007

Letter from an atheist
A tract written by an atheist dramatically changed the life of C.T. Studd, (1860-1931)and his perspective of the short time we have on this earth. It seemed to help him turn from lukewarm Christianity to being on fire for God. After reading the tract, he walked away from great financial wealth and being one of the greatest athletes in England's history, to become a missionary in China and Africa. What did the tract say?

It said ~~[b]~~"did I firmly believe, as millions say they do, that the knowledge and practice of religion in this life influences destiny in another, religion would mean to me everything. I would cast away all earthly enjoyments as dross, earthly cares as Follies, and earthly thoughts and feelings as vanity. Religion would be my first waking thought, and my last image before sleep sank me into unconsciousness. I should labor in its cause alone. I would take thought for the tomorrow of eternity alone. I would esteem one soul gained for heaven worth a life of suffering. Earthly consequences should never stay my hand, nor seal my lips. Earth, its joys and its griefs, would occupy no moment of my thoughts. I would strive to look upon eternity alone, and on the immortal souls around me, soon to be everlastingly happy or everlastingly miserable. I would go forth to the world and preach it in season and out of season and my text would be, "what shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul?"[/b]

Mr. Studd said "I at once saw that this was truly consistent Christian life. When I looked back upon my own life I saw how inconsistent it had been. I therefore determined that from that time forth my life should be consistent, and I set myself to know what was God's will for me. But this time I determined not to consult with flesh and blood, but just waiting until God should show me."

The important question now is what does the tract say to you and me?

sermonindex Jan 8, 2007

I would go forth to the world and preach it in season and out of season and my text would be, "what shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul?

This is a very powerful letter! I read it 5 years ago and it left a mark on my soul to start to shake me out of lukewarmness and complacency. I read a book by Catherine Booth recently: Popular Christianity. And she has the same militant like Spirit to see the gospel go across the world and Christianity become real to people.

I am tired of nomial Christianity we need people who are disciplined and want to go "through" with God no matter what the cost.

R

Ruach34 Jun 2, 2014

Amen. Do you know the origin of this tract or the history behind it?

It would make a good gospel tract and might get the attention of folks who would not otherwise take a gospel tract. Hmmm, my brain is working...:)

P

PeaceByJesus Mar 21, 2022

This is very similar to this (purported) "letter from an atheist"

You are really convinced that you've got all the answers. You've tricked yourself into believing that you're 100% right. Well let me tell you just one thing. Do you consider yourself to be compassionate of other human beings? If you're right about GOD, as you say you are, and you believe that, then how can you sleep at night? When you speak with me, you are speaking with someone who you believe is walking directly into eternal damnation, into an endless onslaught of horrendous pain which your ‘loving’ GOD created, yet you stand by and do nothing.

If you believed one bit that thousands every day were falling into an eternal and unchangeable fate, you should be running the streets mad with rage at their blindness. That’s equivalent to standing on a street corner and watching every person that passes by you walk blindly into the path of a bus and die, yet you stand idly by and do nothing. You're just twiddling your thumbs, happy with the knowledge that one day that "Walk” signal will shine your way across the road.

Think about it. Imagine the horrors hell must have in store if the Bible is true. You're just going to allow that to happen and not care about saving anyone but yourself? If you're right, then you're an uncaring, unemotional, and purely selfish [expletive deleted] that has no right to talk about subjects as love and caring.

(online at https://peacebyjesus.net/letterfromanatheist.html, which is a letter reprinted by Ray Comfort in "The Evidence Bible, Pub. by Living Waters publications, 1-800- 437-1893, or on-line at http://www.livingwaters.com)