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.
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