Responses to Common Objections to the Christian Faith

It is common when witnessing for my presentation of the gospel to be refuted with reasons as to why it cannot be true. These objections, while intellectual in nature, are often rooted in something deeper such as an unwillingness to surrender to God or an experience of disappointment with God, that has resulted in a resistance to spiritual truth.

For example, a high school-aged boy at a Eugene park repeatedly responded with angry questions as a fellow Christian and I attempted to share the gospel with him. For thirty minutes he heatedly offered intellectual arguments. Then, all of the sudden, he blurted out: “And why would God not answer my prayer when I called out to him after my dad died!”

At that point, what seemed like a fruitless conversation, became personal and warm. At the root of this boy’s objections was a feeling that God had let him down. With the real issue revealed, my friend and I were able to show him compassion and pray for him. He left us eager to go home and read the gospel of John. The lesson I learned that day was that intellectual arguments against the gospel often have an emotional source.

Sometimes resistance to the gospel is rooted in genuine questions about our beliefs. It is important that we be able to clearly articulate the Christian perspective on tough issues. The following are questions I frequently hear and my typical response to them:

“What do Christians (or God) have against homosexuals?

When this subject comes up I try to draw the person’s attention to this larger truth: All of us have sinned, fallen short of the glory of God and need a Savior. I state God’s standard regarding sexuality: that it is intended to be expressed in the context of marriage between a man and a woman. I want them to know that God is not “picking on homosexuals.” Homosexual activity is one of many sins for which people need forgiveness. My main purpose is not to change their views on homosexuality (that can come later.) My purpose is to get them to consider Christ. I try to direct the conversation toward Jesus and their response to him.

Doesn’t evolution disprove the Bible?

Regarding science and evolution, I sometimes get in over my head. I am no scientist! However, my usual way of dealing with this subject is to appeal to the argument for intelligent design. I offer the complexity and sophistication of just about any body part or the many systems of the body and their interdependence as an argument for an intelligent designer. The random changes over millions of years that evolution proposes is an inadequate explanation for the magnificence of the natural world.

If there is a God who is good, why is there so much evil in the world?

As to the difficult question of how a good God can allow evil, I bring up the devil as well as the effects of the fall, including the sinful nature of humanity as an explanation. I point out that God’s ways are higher than ours and often beyond our comprehension and that an eternal viewpoint helps us bring evil events into perspective. I also explain how Christian faith not only has a good explanation for evil but also offers a way for people to overcome it.

How do you know the Bible is true?

On the matter of the truthfulness of the Bible, people often say that it is unreliable because it has been changed or re-written so many times. While it is true that there were many copying errors made with the New Testament, it is not difficult for scholars to analyze those copies and determine what the original says.

I point out that the Bible claims to be God’s word. For example, Paul states that “all Scripture is God breathed” (2 Tim. 3:16). Peter claimed that “no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:20-21). 

Of course, just because someone makes a claim, does not make that claim true. I draw their attention to the dozens of Bible prophecies that have been fulfilled- particularly ones dealing with the Messiah including his birth, death and resurrection. The large number of fulfilled prophecies is a persuasive argument for the divine nature of the Word.

Also, the consistency of the Bible is incredible given that it was written by at least 40 authors over a period of at least 1,500 years. Repeatedly, archeology has supported the events, persons and places mentioned in the Bible. And last but not least, millions of lives have been changed for the better through the truths of Scripture.

Do you really believe that people who don’t believe like you do, go to hell?

This objection has to do with the narrowness of Christianity and the penalty of hell for non-believers. When someone asks if I believe that someone is going to hell just because they don’t believe the way I do, I explain that everyone is “in trouble” with God because of their sin. God, in His mercy, provided a solution, a way to be reconciled to God, when He sent His Son to die for our sins. It is the one way that God has provided to be right with Himself. It is not a matter of people needing to believe what I believe but one of assessing whether the Bible’s statements about Jesus are true. He is the one that claimed to be the Way.

I often share that I once believed that lots of world religions contained essential truth. I borrowed what I thought was the best from each one to put together my own philosophy of life. But Jesus’ words “I am the way and the truth and the life” and “no one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6) kept haunting me. Eventually I had to decide whether or not His claims were true. Concluding that they were right, I could no longer cobble together my own composite religion. I encourage people to consider Jesus’ claims, particularly by reading the gospel of John.

Next week: “The ABCs of the Gospel”

Copyright Ed Skipper 2013

For more information about Ed’s ministry, to listen to him speak or to contact him about speaking to your group, visit heartofrevival.net.

 

 

What People Believe

Two and a half years ago, when I began to make an intentional and regular effort to share my faith, I was shocked to learn what many people’s spiritual beliefs are. Being surrounded by church folks had shielded me from the reality that a Christian world view is a rare thing in our culture especially among young people. I have talked to people who identify themselves as witches, atheists, New Agers, Satan worshipers, Jehovah Witnesses, Mormons, agnostics, Hindus, Jews, believers in Greek gods, Muslims, and Buddhist monks. Some have philosophies and religious beliefs that I have never heard of.

Many reject any formal spirituality, believing that religion causes war or that it just is a means to control people. Some have turned away from a Christian upbringing they felt was forced upon them or have become disillusioned for any number of reasons, many of them valid. It is very common for people to have notions that are clearly unbiblical.  These notions can be wide-spread such as a belief in reincarnation or the misconception that all religions teach the same thing. (One middle-aged couple that I spoke with in Yachats are convinced that they could not go to hell because their relative is a Catholic priest and has sway with God!) 

There are intellectual issues that influence people’s thinking. Evolution is proffered as an argument against a Creator.  In this age of information some feel they can’t believe anything that can’t be scientifically proven. I have been challenged to prove that there is a God on several occasions.  Sharing truth from Scripture is countered by opinions such as the Bible is a fairy tale, is full of errors, or has been “re-written” and therefore cannot be trusted.

Additionally there are strong societal values that form peoples’ worldviews. The exaltation of tolerance as a virtue has lead to the idea that “it doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you truly believe it.”  This has led to normalization of behaviors and lifestyles that were once considered unconventional at best. (For instance questions about and opposition to the Christian view of homosexuality comes up in many of my conversations.) Underlying this “anything goes” mentality is the belief that humans are basically good. In Yachats I spoke with a couple of ladies who were attending a Buddhist presentation. One woman claimed that that there is no such thing as evil. I asked her if it would be “evil” if someone murdered her brother. She replied that she would be mad, but that it would not be evil since there is no such thing.  

Finally, there are the age-old questions that have confused and confounded people for thousands of years: Questions such as, “How could a good God allow all the evil that goes on in the world?” or “How can a loving God send people to Hell?” Lots of people have made statements such as “I don’t believe someone would go to hell because they don’t believe a particular way.” One high school boy told me that if he had to go to hell he thought he could get used to it!

All these influences contribute to the major trend in our culture of putting together a composite of spiritual beliefs - borrowing from different religions and philosophies. I often hear, “No religion has it all.” I spoke to three young women at Linn-Benton Community College one day who are typical. All three of them had elements of Christianity in their belief systems but none of them appeared to have a personal relationship with Jesus or a trust in God’s Word. They all had an eclectic mix of beliefs borrowed from various sources. This is some of what they shared with me: “I don’t believe God is cruel” (i.e., He doesn’t send people to hell); “I believe we keep coming back in new forms getting closer to God as we learn our lessons;” “All religions teach the same thing and lead to the same God;” “I believe Christ died for my sins but I get my peace from Buddhist meditation;” and “There is someone or something out there beyond us that made all this but we can’t really know what it is.” Another young man who told me told me that he had his bases covered: “I am Catholic, Mormon and Christian.”

My conversations have made it apparent to me that a Christian worldview is a rare thing in Oregon. It is both a privilege and a challenge to engage with people holding such a wide range of opinions on spiritual matters. In my next blog I will write about how I respond to the some of the most common objections to Christianity.

Next week: “My Response to Common Objections”

Copyright Ed Skipper 2013

 

For more information about Ed’s ministry, to listen to him speak or to contact him about speaking to your group, visit heartofrevival.net.

 

 

Share the Gospel, Expect Fruit

Last week I wrote that we should expect to receive opposition when we share our faith. It is also true that we should expect fruit. When we take the risk of presenting the gospel, good things happen! The reason that we can expect fruit when we share the gospel is found in the Great Commission. To his disciples, who were told to go and make disciples of all nations, Jesus said: “Surely, I will be with you always to the very end of the age” (Matt. 28:20). We experience his presence in the greatest way when we have the greatest need for Him, i.e., when we know that we are in over our heads and cannot rely solely on our own resources. Here are some examples of God bearing fruit through my gospel interactions with people:

At the Eugene transit station a Teen Challenge student I was training felt impressed to approach a particular group. A young man (about 20) began talking with us. He was angry at God. A friend of his had been shot in a gang-related shooting in Los Angeles. Another friend had died in his arms of a heroine overdose. He wondered why God would allow so many bad things to happen and why God did not answer his prayer for his dying friend. The Teen Challenge student interjected that he had been a heroine user and had, himself, overdosed. He was able to share what the Lord had done for him. I saw this young man soften as we talked with him. It was evident that the Lord had gone before us in this situation matching up the right people.

My friend and I were sharing at Willamalane Park in Springfield.  A young man followed us as we shared with various groups of kids.  His heart was tender, and eventually we sat with him on a picnic bench and lead him to the Lord. I believe God had been drawing Him even before our encounter.

At Ralston Park in Lebanon I talked to a middle-aged man about the Ten Commandments.  As we parted he said that our conversation convinced him to forsake his plan to murder a person who was involved with his lover!

Once I talked with a boy who had had no exposure to the Gospel. He was not literate and came from a very poor home with no internet. He was astonished when I told him God sent his Son to die. He did not think that a loving Father would do such a thing. I explained to him that God did it because He loved him so much. I told him, “God loves you more than you love yourself.” Astounded, he exclaimed, “I love myself a lot!” That young man was beginning to comprehend the depth of God’s love for the first time. 

When I lack motivation to share I think about how many people are being exposed to the Gospel through my efforts. 

I came across a boy who was reluctant to take my Gospel comic because he thought it was too much to read.   He was with a girl that I had witnessed to the day before. To encourage the boy to read it, I said to the girl: “It’s real good, isn’t it?” She replied, “Yeah, my friends read it to me seven or eight times yesterday.” I was thrilled that they were reading the basics of the gospel over and over.

Hundreds of times, as I’m handing out tracts at a mall or school, I look back and people are reading a gospel presentation. How cool is that!

Not only does God prepare the hearts of those we will share with, Jesus also goes with us directing our steps. One day I was preparing a message on God’s guidance when I decided to go to Lebanon High School where I have ministered many times. As I drove toward the school I wondered what part of the campus I should head for so I asked the Lord to lead me. I was still several blocks from away when I noticed two college-age guys and a girl standing at the edge of a field. I took this as the answer to my prayer for guidance. I approached them with my survey on spiritual beliefs. The girl immediately stated her qualifications as a good person:  “I have spiritual beliefs. I am a Christian. I know where I’m going when I die. I believe in God and follow the Ten Commandments. That’s what God asks of us.” As we continued to talk it became clear she believed, as many do, that she could earn her way to heaven. I explained to her that, like all people, her wrongdoing disqualified her from heaven.  I explained that Jesus paid the price and that her hope needed to be in what He did for her on the cross. When she realized that she could never be good enough to earn heaven she was amazed and delighted. She had never heard this aspect of the gospel before. Then one of the guys shared that though he was a Christian he did not know where he was going when he died. I was able to share with him about the book of 1 John, which was written to “you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13).  He, like his friend, welcomed this “good news”. At the end of our conversation, I went away stunned at how God had directed me to that place at that time to minister to the people God had in mind. I never did arrive at my original destination but I made it to the appointment that God had for me that day.

I encourage you to pray for, watch for and seize opportunities to share spiritual truth with lost people. It will amaze you what God can do!

Next week: “What People Believe”

Copyright Ed Skipper 2013

For more information about Ed’s ministry, to listen to him speak or to contact him about speaking to your group, visit heartofrevival.net.

Expect Opposition

When I read through the Book of Acts, two things about sharing the gospel strike me. First, God produced fruit through the early believers’ efforts. (This will be the topic of my next article.) Second, these believers repeatedly experienced intense opposition.

When Paul came to a town, both good and bad things happened. The gospel message he brought stirred people up. It had a major impact. Not only were there conversions but there were also antagonism and riots.  

We too can expect both fruit and opposition in our gospel-sharing endeavors. An example of this happened to me on the Oregon coast. I met a boy who, like me, had experienced the death of his father when he was a boy. His late dad had been a Christian and his interest was peaked when he learned that I was a believer. My conversation with this boy made an impression on me and I began to pray for him. A few days after our encounter, I ran into him again. My heart was encouraged, believing that the Lord had arranged this. I was able not only to reconnect with him, but also to share the gospel with friends he was with.

Immediately after that, I got into a long conversation with four teens who showed interest in and asked questions about everything from sin to the resurrection. Near the end of that conversation they saw three friends coming down the street and invited them over to hear the gospel!  I was on an emotional high from this very fruitful afternoon when two Florence City Police officers pulled up. I assumed they would ask me if I had seen someone that they were looking for. Much to my surprise, I learned that they were actually there to interrogate me. Someone had seen me talking with young people and suspected that I was a pedophile!  It is hard to think of a more troubling accusation. Worse, at least one of the officers did not appear to be convinced of my innocence. I heard him say on his radio: “Of course, he’s denying it!”  

While the police in this situation were simply doing their job, it is a vivid reminder of the fight that we can expect when we get serious about sharing the gospel. This incident shook me up for a few hours but ultimately served to strengthen my determination to spread the gospel.

It should not surprise us when we encounter opposition to our efforts to share our faith. Let’s be realistic: Not everyone is going to be happy when we talk to them about spiritual things. Certain biblical truths will not “fly” well in our culture. Truths such as Jesus is the only way to heaven, the need for repentance and that God shows grace to the unworthy are not popular and can sometimes lead to strong reactions.

I was in Gladstone with some free time and it was my desire to  share the gospel with young people. Without a local map or a GPS, I prayed for God’s direction. As I drove around, I “stumbled” upon a skate park and thanked the Lord for answering my prayer.  Immediately a slight boy “greeted” me, pointing his finger and proclaiming in his best macho voice, “There‘s the parking lot!” That was quite and introduction yet that same boy ended up listening, asking questions and following me around. I talked with different groups that day. As I approached one group three boys declared “We’re homosexual!” as they pretended to do sexual acts. One boy opened up his shirt and stuck his chest in my face as I was quoting John 3:16-18. As I left some of them threw my tracts down and stomped on them as they yelled obscenities at me. Talk about opposition! Yet I as I walked away I had a strong sense that God had sent me there for His purposes. Even in the midst of the resistance, I had sensed some openness to the Word and rejoiced.

Once at Linn-Benton Community College I approached a man sitting on a bench and asked if he would like to do my “Good Person” survey.  He began to curse at me. When I gently asked him why he was so upset with Christians, he threatened to call the police.

In another memorable incident, I was sharing with some boys at a skate park in Salem when an older high school student came over and asked them: “Didn’t you come here to ride? Go and ride.” He chased them away from me thinking he was doing them a favor. When I asked him what was going on he sneered, “You people are coming to our doors and now to our skate parks.” His anger was so strong that I thought it best to leave the area.

 

When we experience this kind of resistance or rejection because of the gospel, we can encourage ourselves with Jesus words: “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you (Matthew 6:10-12).

I am also inspired by accounts of persecution I read in a monthly newsletter published by Voice

of the Martyrs.  It contains stories of believers in countries where Christianity and especially evangelizing, are not tolerated. These people pay a major penalty for sharing their faith. There are stories of women whose husbands have been killed for proselytizing. Others have lost body parts due to severe beatings. Many know they will be attacked, imprisoned, and, in some cases, killed for what they are doing. Yet they boldly go on proclaiming Him, fully knowing that becoming silent about their faith could end their suffering. These men and women inspire me to put up with the comparatively small amount of opposition I sometimes face.

How about you? When you face hardship because of your faith in Christ, will you consider it a privilege?

Next week: “Expect Fruit”

Copyright Ed Skipper 2013 

For more information about Ed’s ministry, to listen to him speak or to contact him about speaking to your group, visit heartofrevival.net.

One Approach to Sharing the Gospel

As I look back over the last two and half years, it is amazing to me how many people I have been able to share the gospel with simply by trying to have an encounter with at least one person daily. I estimate that by talking with just three people a day (there is most often a group-not just one individual), I have spoken with about 2,000 people in a period of two years. Over ten years that adds up to 10,000 people who get at least some exposure to the gospel. What a huge influence a single person can have by making a habit of speaking to people about the gospel! 

The vast majority of my contacts have been with young people. In general, I find them to be both more willing to talk to me and more open to what I have to say than older folks. I speak to them at skate parks, near high schools, at college campuses, at mauls, at fairs, etc.

Ideally I take someone along with me when I share. I find that I have greater courage when I’m not alone and it can also serve as a protection should someone choose to make some kind of accusation. Nevertheless, I am most often by myself because I can talk to many more people if I don’t have to work around someone else’s schedule.

One thing I try to avoid at all costs is getting into an argument with someone I’m speaking with.  It is possible to be “right” in a discussion but to have the wrong attitude. We do not want to win a debate at the expense of our credibility.

Although I always want to be led by the Spirit in my conversations, I have found it helpful to use certain methods in sharing the gospel. Any person who desires to witness will develop their own strategies according to their personality and convictions. Furthermore, each conversation will vary according to the responses of the people involved.

In my last blog, I described the “Good Person” quiz. Another good technique is to take a survey on spiritual beliefs. I learned this approach from the booklet “How Can I Share My Faith Without An Argument?” (available on line at discoveryseries.org.) I ask these questions: “Do you have any spiritual beliefs?” “What do think happens when you die?” “What do you believe about Jesus?” “What do you believe about the Bible?” I listen to their responses and then I ask: “Can I tell you my beliefs?” Every person I have done this with has given me permission. I then share the basic concepts of the gospel. Most often, the survey leads to a discussion about the gospel without ever getting to that final permission question.

A strength of this method is that it gives people an opportunity to share their views, which most people enjoy. It is more conversational and less directed than the Good Person quiz. I’ve found that this approach works well with people who are beyond high school-age.

However it does require the person sharing to be able to respond to a wide variety of questions and comments. The person sharing must have a good working knowledge of the Bible and a willingness to tackle any subject from atheism to belief in aliens! Both of these techniques require an ability to discern how and when to redirect a conversation or to continue on the track that it is on.

The spiritual survey has resulted in some interesting encounters and has led to some lengthy conversations about the gospel. In one situation two Teen Challenge students and I were finishing up a conversation with an LDS high school boy at the Junction City skate park. A 14 year-old boy rode up. I asked this boy if he had any spiritual beliefs. He said that he had believed in God but when his best friend died he began to doubt. The boy went on to explain that he and his friends use to “train run” (standing on train tracks and jumping out of the train’s way just in time as the train approached.) One day as they were train running they encountered an Amtrak train which is considerably faster than they were used to. His best friend next to him did not get out of the way in time and was killed instantly. This boy opened up about how he struggled with the incident and how much he missed his good friend. The boy welcomed the opportunity to express his feelings. Our hearts went out to him and we prayed for him. One of the Teen Challenge students was able to share a similar experience with the boy. (His 14 year old friend got hit, dragged and killed by a dump truck.) He was able to tell his story to the grieving boy and we went away amazed at how God had sovereignly arranged this encounter.

If you’re like me witnessing may be out of your comfort zone but it is astounding how God often shows up when we put ourselves in situations in which we are “over our head” in our service to Him. It is also amazing how often God directs us to talk to the right people at the right time.

Next week: “Expect Opposition”

Copyright Ed Skipper 2013

 

For more information about Ed’s ministry, to listen to him speak or to contact him about speaking to your group, visit heartofrevival.net.