Podcast Summary: Things Unseen with Sinclair B. Ferguson
Episode: "No Real Atheists"
Release Date: January 13, 2026
Host: Sinclair B. Ferguson (A, Ligonier Ministries)

Episode Overview

This episode of Things Unseen explores the idea that genuine atheism is impossible. Sinclair B. Ferguson reflects on biblical teaching, theological insight, and classic hymns to argue that God's self-revelation in creation means everyone, deep down, knows of His existence—even if they claim otherwise. He unpacks why this matters for Christians engaging with those who profess atheism.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Divine Revelation is Unavoidable

• Ferguson expands on “apokalupsis”—the Greek term for "revelation"—emphasizing that God’s invisible attributes are made visible in all of creation (Romans 1:19).
• He cites the hymn by Isaac Watts, especially the verse:

  “There’s not a plant or flower below but makes your glories known..." [00:45]

• Herman Bavinck's theological perspective is introduced:

  “…the whole universe is a creation and hence also a revelation of God. In an absolute sense, nothing is atheistic.” [01:30]

2. No True Atheists, Only 'Hiding Atheists'

• Ferguson discusses Bavinck’s claim that there are "no atheistic persons," which is a paraphrase of Romans 1.
• He explains,

  “There are no real atheists; there are only hiding atheists.” [03:08]

• He distinguishes between those who consciously declare atheism and the biblical claim that, deep down, all know God exists.

3. The Inescapability of God’s Presence

• Referencing Psalm 139, Ferguson uses a poetic image:

  “Even if you take the wings of the morning and travel at the speed of light to the furthest part of the earth to flee from God, when you land, you will still be confronted by the same revelation of God in creation that you are trying to escape from.” [02:13]

• He describes God as planting “quiet voices” in all creation, making everyone aware of Him:

  “There is no last exit from my revelation.” [02:40]

4. The Implications for Christians and Non-Christians

• Christians understand something about self-professed atheists that those atheists deny:

  “They know that God is. They can deny it to us, they may even deny it to themselves. But ultimately, deep down, they cannot escape the reality.” [04:00]

• He suggests that no one can live as if God does not exist and that “atheists can never really be consistent with their first principles.” [04:56]
• Everyone must “borrow from the implications of the existence of God and His revelation. Otherwise nothing makes sense, nothing is ultimately explicable.” [05:18]

5. Atheism’s Inconsistency Exposed

• Ferguson reasoned that atheists live inconsistent lives because the foundations they deny are required to make sense of reality:

  “Nobody can actually live consistently with that presupposition... If you think for 10 minutes about living that way, in which nothing makes sense... you will soon be driven to despair.” [06:00]

• Christians should be attentive to these “loose threads” in atheists’ worldviews—spots of inconsistency.

6. Christian Responsibility: Gentle Engagement

• Christians should look for inconsistencies and “gently pull on the loose thread, and help unravel the falsehood that they have professed to believe.” [07:08]
• The goal is to point them to God, praying that as their inconsistencies unravel, “they too will begin to seek God.” [07:32]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “In an absolute sense, nothing is atheistic. There is no atheistic world, and there are no atheistic people, nor are there atheistic persons.”
  — Hermann Bavinck (quoted by Ferguson), [01:30]

• “There are no real atheists; there are only hiding atheists.”
  — Sinclair B. Ferguson, [03:08]

• “Even if you take the wings of the morning and travel at the speed of light to the furthest part of the earth to flee from God, when you land, you will still be confronted by the same revelation of God in creation that you are trying to escape from.”
  — Sinclair B. Ferguson, [02:13]

• “They know that God is. They can deny it to us, they may even deny it to themselves. But ultimately, deep down, they cannot escape the reality.”
  — Sinclair B. Ferguson, [04:00]

• “Nobody can actually live consistently with that presupposition... If you think for 10 minutes about living that way, in which nothing makes sense... you will soon be driven to despair.”
  — Sinclair B. Ferguson, [06:00]

• “One of our responsibilities as Christians is to spot these inconsistencies, to gently pull on the loose thread, and to help unravel the falsehood that they have professed to believe, in order that we may begin to point them to the true and living God...”
  — Sinclair B. Ferguson, [07:08]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:08 – Introduction to divine revelation and the meaning of "apocalypse."
• 01:30 – Hermann Bavinck’s statement: No atheistic things or persons.
• 02:13 – Poetic exposition of Psalm 139 and God’s inescapable revelation.
• 03:08 – “No real atheists; only hiding atheists.”
• 04:00 – Romans 1:21 and the irrepressibility of knowledge of God.
• 04:56 – The inconsistency of atheists’ professed first principles.
• 06:00 – The despair of trying to live without foundations.
• 07:08 – Christian responsibility: spotting and addressing inconsistencies.
• 07:32 – Closing encouragement to pray for seekers.

Conclusion

Sinclair B. Ferguson uses theology, Scripture, and hymns to contend that atheism is ultimately a self-deception or suppression of the truth made evident in all creation. Christians, he argues, should approach atheists with both the understanding of their internal inconsistency and a compassionate strategy—to lovingly highlight these inconsistencies and point others toward God’s revealed glory.