"I'm not interested."
Have you ever thought about how often we have the chance to utter that phrase, or something like it?
"Are you a rewards member? No? I can sign you up today…"
"No thanks, I'm not interested."
"Want a free cruise? Just listen to our presentation about…"
"Definitely not interested. Well maybe in the cruise, but not in a presentation for a timeshare."
"Would you like to add an order of…"
"Nope. Thanks."
There are a great number of things we have conditioned ourselves to be ready to instantly reject. No thought necessary, just an immediate, final, "No." Don't even try to persuade me. My mind's made up. Done. End of discussion.
But that impulse which keeps us from opening (another) credit card, being tempted to spend money on a vacation home, or prevents us from adding an extra load of calories to our meals may also cause us to miss out on some truly life-changing information we would do well to consider.
Does that impulse trigger for you when someone talks about God? When someone wants to study the Bible with you? When someone asks you to come visit with them at church?
Are you simply not interested?
Maybe you are even more than disinterested. Maybe you feel downright antagonistic toward God.
"After all, where was he when…? Why didn't he…? I'm just fine without him, thank you very much. Not interested."
If I may, let me beg you to keep reading, because what you are about to read may be just what you need to know the most! It's this: Don't think that just because you have no interest in God that he has no "interest" in you. Just because you reject him now does not mean you are not accountable to him.
“But I don’t believe in God…”
I get it. You think that if you don't believe in him you don't have to follow his rules. It's how I personally feel about other religions. Jewish or Muslim teachings don't stop me from eating bacon or barbecue pork. I don't believe what they believe, so I don't practice what they practice, and there are no negative effects in my life from this.
But the same can't be said of rejecting the God of the Bible. Your rejection is not a release from your responsibility. Sure, if the God of the Bible were not real and all religions truly were equal you may have a point.
But God is real (the preponderance of the evidence rests on the side of his existence). And if God actually exists then all religions are not equally untrue. Thus, you are not released from your responsibility.
Let's use the story of Pharaoh as a case study. When Moses came with divine authority, commanding Pharaoh to let the children of Israel go, his response was this: "Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go?" (Exodus 5:2). Pharaoh didn't believe he was answerable to the "god" of the Hebrews. After all, he thought himself a god in his own right. Why should he follow the orders of a deity he rejected?
But while Pharaoh may not have been interested in God, but God was definitely interested in him!
The consequences of Pharaoh's rejection were disastrous. In a short time his failure to submit to God's demand led to the destruction of his nation's economy, health, military, and even their firstborn. It seems that this Pharaoh may have even taken his hardness of heart all the way to his grave (cf. Psalm 136:15).
Of course God is not going to bring the same kinds of horrendous plagues upon you during your life, even if you continue in disinterested rejection. My goal is not to scare you into believing because you fear such horrors. Rather, I simply want to make one obvious point: If Pharaoh was accountable despite his disbelief, then so are you!
Paul wrote to the church in Philippi that God has "highly exalted [Jesus] and given him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow… and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord…" (Philippians 2:9-11). When Paul says every knee and every tongue he means everyone! Not just those who believe now, but everyone should (has the responsibility to) bow and submit to Jesus as Lord.
Again, you likely aren't going to be swept away in this lifetime like Pharaoh's army, but you must also consider the end of all things: the Judgement Day. Paul also preached to the Athenians that God now commands all men everywhere to repent, because a day is coming on which Jesus will judge all people, whether you believe it or not (cf. Acts 17:30-31).
And it is on that day you will most definitely bow before Jesus as Lord. But at that point it will be too late to seek his pardon (cf. Romans 14:10-12). So you can bow and confess now, or you can bow and confess later, but bow and confess you will someday do! It certainly works in your favor to do so now rather than later.
Jesus didn't say, "I am the way, the truth, and the life, and no one comes to the Father but by me, if he wants to; Otherwise, sorry for bothering you with my proselytizing!" You may not feel that you need God. You may not even be remotely interested. That's entirely your choice. But consider that when someone who is a believer in Jesus and a follower of his teaching comes to you to discuss spiritual matters they don't do it out of a desire to control you, make your life boring, take your money in a collection plate, or pat themselves on the back for how many people are a part of their church.
No, a true follower of Christ comes to you knowing full well that you may not appreciate your position, but they must try to help you anyway. They know of the terror of the Lord which is to come at the judgment, and want to persuade you and others to prepare for that day by living a life devoted to Jesus. They know you may not be interested. But they also know God is interested in you! Will you give it some thought?