This
booklet has been written to help Christians who are hesitant to
share their faith because they are afraid they are not able to
answer questions non-believers may ask about Christianity.
Tell What
You Know
In
the ninth chapter of the gospel of John there is a story about
a blind man to whom Jesus gave sight. Jesus’ critics questioned
the newly sighted man about what had happened to him. The man
knew virtually nothing about Jesus. When pressed for details,
the man replied, "Whether He [Jesus] is a sinner or not
I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now
I see."
This
story is a tremendous encouragement to all who fear that they
do not know enough to share their faith in Christ. The man’s
example encourages us to tell what we do know!
Giving An
Answer
You
can testify about Christ by telling what you know, whether it
be a little or a lot. However, 1 Peter 3:15 exhorts us to prepare
ourselves to "always be ready to give an answer to everyone
who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you." The
remainder of this booklet is intended to help you be prepared
to give answers to the most frequently asked questions non-believers
tend to ask.
Is the Problem
Intellectual or Moral and Spiritual?
There
are people who insist that the reason they do not embrace Christianity
is that they have honest questions that cannot be answered. They
insist that there are intellectual barriers that stand between
them and Christianity. This is seldom, if ever, true. There are
answers to people’s questions – if they really want
answers. Most people, however, do not want answers. The alleged
intellectual barriers are erected to hide the moral and spiritual
barriers that keep people from committing themselves to Christ.
People
may say they do not believe because the Bible is full of
contradictions. In reality, most often these people just do not
want to turn from their sin. They may say that they do
not believe because there are hypocrites in the church, but the
real reason is that they are spiritually blind to the fact that
they are sinners in need of a Savior.
When
dealing with people’s questions about Christianity, remember
that no answer you may give will turn a person to Christ. All
you are doing is seeking to remove the excuses people have erected.
When the excuses have been eliminated, people must still wrestle
with their moral and spiritual problems.
Discerning
the Heart of the Questioner
Answering
questions effectively begins with discerning the heart of the
questioner. There are four basic kinds of questioners:
Indifferent.
These do not care. Some really do not care. The ones
who really do not care are often the hardest to reach.
Why? Because they do not care. Others pretend
not to care, but if you will mention spiritual issues, they
will reveal that they do care. They will reveal that
they are one of the other three kinds of people.
Skeptic.
Skeptics have a "show me" attitude. It
isn’t that they are opposed to Christianity, they
are just skeptical. They are open, but they want to be given
some evidence. The burden of proof is on you. They are ready
to reject Christianity unless you can prove they should not.
Skeptics can be reached for Christ.
Scoffer.
Scoffers are different from skeptics. Scoffers are
antagonistic. They are not interested in learning, but in debate.
They are looking to find fault. They often ask questions or
make statements that attack Christ, Christianity and the Bible.
True scoffers do not really want answers. They want to argue.
2 Peter 3:3 informs us "that scoffers will come in the
last days, walking according to their own lusts."
Sometimes
these people know something of the Bible. They may have been
raised in a religious environment. They are often reacting to
something that turned them off in the past. These scoffers can
be reached, not only by reason, but by love.
There are
other scoffers, however, who are just plain hard. They may even
be instruments of the devil intended to discourage you and waste
your time. The book of Proverbs warns sternly and repeatedly:
do not waste time with scoffers. They are not going to
be reached with any amount of reason. If they are to be reached,
it will be by loving example alone. Since scoffers cannot be
argued into the kingdom of God, when you discern you
are dealing with a scoffer, the best approach is often to kindly
refrain from argument, pray and demonstrate Christian love.
Seeker.
Romans 3:10-12 makes it clear that "no one seeks
God." 1 Corinthians 2:14 makes it clear that non-believers
have no interest in or ability to grasp spiritual truth. However,
there are people who have not yet committed themselves to Christ,
and therefore are not Christians, but who seem to have some
interest in spiritual things. How shall we understand this?
Seekers
come in two types: (1) Those who are seeking God because
the Spirit of God is at work in them, and (2) those who are
seeking answers to their problems, giving religion a
whirl. Those who are seeking God will find Him. Jesus
promised as much in Matthew 7:7. The reason is that God is already
at work in them. They are seeking God because God is seeking
them! Those who are merely seeking answers to their problems
are not seeking God and they may or may not end up coming to
faith in Christ.
Since
you cannot be sure which category a seeker is in, pursue all
who seem to be seeking the Lord with the expectation that some
will be saved. Do not be devastated if others end up walking
away because God failed to deliver what they wanted from Him.
How to Deal
with These Four Types of People
With
the truly indifferent, pray and seek to raise their interest without
becoming annoying. With skeptics, seek to answer their questions,
giving a rational defense for Christianity. With scoffers, know
when to continue and when to walk away, leaving them in God’s
hands. Since it is virtually impossible to tell whether a seeker
is seeking God or merely answers, treat all seekers as though
God is at work in their lives, expecting them to come to faith
in Christ until they do, or until they walk away.
Answering
Questions with Questions
If
you read through the gospels with an eye for how Jesus dealt with
inquisitors, you will discover that in almost every instance,
Jesus answered questions with questions. Here is what He typically
did and why: People came along asking questions. The questions
were asked from a position of naiveté regarding truth.
Rather than merely telling the inquisitor an answer that the person
may still fail to understand, Jesus told stories and asked people
questions designed to do two things: (1) He wanted them to see
the folly of their position. (2) He wanted them to determine the
correct answer for themselves. The results of this method are
far more impacting than merely spouting off answers.
Christians
need to learn from our Lord’s example and imitate His method.
Hypothetical situations that reveal the illogic of people’s
thinking are far more effective than highly technical answers.
Questions that force people to answer their own questions are
more impacting than straight forward answers you may give. Resist
the temptation to flaunt your knowledge. Understand that compassion
desires people to discover truth as God reveals it. Pride, on
the other hand, desires to be right.
Thirteen
of the Most Commonly Asked Questions About Christianity
There
is no end to the number of questions non-believers ask about Christianity.
However, there are not many different types of questions.
The following thirteen questions are actually categories of
questions. People’s questions may be worded differently,
but the heart of most questions will fall into one of these thirteen
categories. Learning how to field thirteen types of questions
is something everyone can do and it will make you effective in
handling many hundreds more.
The
answers are given in two forms. Facts (&) and sample illustrations
and questions (?).
Q.1. Isn’t
the Bible at odds with Science? What about evolution and dinosaurs?
The
Bible is not a science book. It speaks of nature, not in scientific
terms, but in terms that are common to man.
? Most
people say that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west.
Of course we know that the sun does not rise or set. The earth
rotates making it appear that the sun is rising and setting.
When we say the sun rises and sets, are we declaring that we
believe that the sun rotates around a flat earth? No. We are
merely making a non-scientific statement from a human perspective.
Other
religions make all sorts of statements about science that are
wrong, yet they are not rejected on a scientific basis.
? Hindu
scripture (the Vedas) says the moon is 150,000 miles farther
away from the earth than the Sun is and that it is a source
of light, rather than a reflector of the Sun’s light. Those
religious writings claim the earth is a flat triangle held up
by giant elephants who live underneath. Earthquakes happen when
the elephants shake. Have you ever heard anyone attack Hinduism
because it is not scientific? Why not? Why do critics attack
Christianity, which makes no such ludicrous statements?
Christianity
is at odds with evolution. But so is science! People
who discard Christianity because it is not compatible with evolution
are right about that incompatibility, but they are also demonstrating
that they do not really understand science.
? Evolution
is theory, not scientific fact or law. To be scientific, evolution
would have to be observable and reproducible. It is neither.
Creation is not scientific either since it is neither observable
nor reproducible. Laws of science (thermodynamics and entropy)
actually disprove evolution. Science does nothing to disprove
the Bible. Why should anyone believe evolution that is scientifically
impossible, and yet reject biblical creation, that while not
provable, is possible?
So
what if the Bible is silent about dinosaurs? The Bible never
mentions cats either! The Bible never claims to address everything.
Dinosaurs are not incompatible with the Biblical record. There
are two simple explanations for dinosaurs and their disappearance.
Reptiles grow as long as they are alive. Before the Genesis
Flood, everything lived hundreds of years. Allowed to live that
long, these ancient reptiles could easily have grown to great
size. Why are they now gone? Either they weren’t included
in the Ark with Noah, or they are still around, but are just
smaller since they do not live as long!
? If
you reject the Bible because it is silent about dinosaurs, do
you also reject Shakespeare because it does not contain instructions
on changing a flat tire?
Conclusion:
Those who claim to reject Christ because of science are not
rejecting Christ because of science. The science argument is
almost always a smoke screen for a spiritual and/or a moral
problem.
Q.2. Aren’t
Christians self-righteous hypocrites?
A
hypocrite is a person who claims to be something he is not.
To be a Christian you must understand and confess that you are
a sinner. To be a Christian you must confess that you have no
righteousness in yourself (self-righteousness). Christians are
people who have received Christ’s righteousness, because
they have none of their own. Therefore, Christians are the only
people who are NOT hypocrites and are NOT self-righteous!
Those
who refuse to admit that they are sinners in need of Christ’s
righteousness are the self-righteous hypocrites, since they
are pretending to be sinless and are relying on their own self-righteousness.
? Those
who hide behind the hypocrites often say, "At least I am
honest about myself!" Since when did dishonesty about ourselves
become the only sin that could send a person to hell?
It
is true that Christians (including Christian leaders) fall into
sin. When they do, they are not being hypocritical or self-righteous.
They are proving that they are not sinless. They are only proving
that they need the righteousness of Christ. If a Christian does
act self-righteously, he is not discrediting Christianity. He
is discrediting himself as a Christian.
? If
a soldier commits treason against his country, does he discredit
his country, or himself?
Conclusion:
This is a smoke screen, blaming others for one’s own spiritual
and moral problems.
Q.3. Isn’t
Christianity just a crutch for weak people?
In
one sense this is true.
? What
is a crutch and who uses one? A crutch is help for the weak.
A crutch is used by those who realize their weakness and want
help. In this sense, Christianity certainly is a crutch. Our
weakness is sin. Jesus is Help for those who realize their problem
and want help. Christianity is a crutch for those who realize
that they are not perfect. I know I am not perfect. Why do you
refuse the crutch? Is it because you think you are perfect?
Conclusion:
Do not be ashamed of the fact that Christianity is for those
who realize their need.
Q.4. I
am not a sinner. I am not that bad. I am better than
most. I have no need.
Many
people say they are not sinners. God says all people are! All
that is required to qualify as a sinner is to be less than perfect.
Nearly everyone (except for the certifiably insane) admits they
are not perfect.
There
are many others who believe they are sinners, but they do not
think it matters. It does. God says that as sinners, as those
who are not perfect, we will be judged, banished from heaven
for eternity to experience the eternal wrath of God in hell.
? How
much poison does it take to pollute a glass of water? How much
sin does to take to make a person a sinner?
I’m
not as bad as others! True. And we are glad! But comparing ourselves
with others isn’t the point. God doesn’t grade on
a curve. He doesn’t compare us to each other and exclude
only the worst 10%. He judges us against Himself as the standard.
Since He is perfect in every way, we all fall short when compared
to Him.
? Why
is it that when people compare themselves with others, they
only compare themselves with those who are worse? Why are people
so sure they will go to heaven because they are better than
the worst people? Why isn’t anybody worried that they will
go to hell because they aren’t as good as the best people?
? Can
a cancer patient who has a week to live claim to be healthy
because he isn’t as bad off as the guy in the next bed
who only has a couple of hours?
Conclusion:
We need to measure ourselves not by other sinful people, but
by Jesus Christ who is sinless.
Q.5. How
do I know there is a God? I’m agnostic.
God
never seeks to prove His existence. Hebrews 11:6 says, "Whoever
comes to God must believe that He is." But the fact
that God does not seek to prove His existence, does not
mean there is no evidence. There is plenty of evidence.
Four pieces of evidence that God exists follow. Number four
is usually the most convincing.
(1)
First Cause. Question: Is there anything that happens or
exists without something causing it? Answer: NO. There is a
cause for everything. So A is because B caused it. So what caused
B? C. And what caused C? D. And so it goes until we reach what
is called First Cause. First Cause is that cause that had no
cause. Scientifically there is no such thing. Why? Because everything
had to be caused. Philosophically there has to be a first cause.
The First Cause cannot be caused by anything else, or that would
be a prior cause and what we thought was First Cause was not
first after all.
What
is this First Cause? How do we know that the First Cause is
God? Maybe the First Cause is a force or power. That is what
the New Agers (including the Star Wars gang) believes. What
do we know about the First Cause?
By
looking at the world around us, there is order and design. From
this we can deduce that the First Cause is intelligent. There
is an Intelligent Creative Force, but how do I know it is God?
You do not know it since God doesn’t seek to prove it.
Rather, God gives evidence. Those who seriously study the evidence,
including the Bible, will come to the conclusion that there
is a God, and that He is the God of the Bible.
(2)
Nature. The Bible says that the heavens (creation) declare
the glory of God. This is abundantly clear to Christians. We
look at a sunset, a majestic mountain range, the crashing of
the sea, or at the starry heavens above and we know that Our
Father lives. But what of the non-believer? Does creation speak
to him? Only if he is willing to LISTEN – AND THINK!
(3)
The Bible. Many have sought to destroy it. The Bible has
sustained greater scrutiny than any other book – ever!
Yet after the critics die, the Bible remains!
(4)
Jesus Christ. No one ever has impacted this planet and the
people on it like Jesus has. Jesus Christ and Christianity are
unique. Jesus said, "If you have seen me, you have seen
the Father." Those who have not taken a serious look
at Jesus and Christianity have not looked at the evidence.
Most
people who claim to be agnostic do not know what an agnostic
is. According to the dictionary, an agnostic is one who grants
that God may exist, but does not believe that God can be known.
Gnostic means to have knowledge. A means not.
So an agnostic is one without knowledge. It is ironic that many
who claim to be agnostics, make the claim so proudly.
? An
agnostic is a person who is without knowledge. A person without
knowledge can gain knowledge, if they want to learn. A person
who has access to knowledge but refuses it is not without knowledge,
he is without interest. Do you want to learn? If not, why would
you want to remain ignorant when information is available?
Conclusion:
People accuse Christians of blindly believing something. Not
so. We have looked at the evidence. The people who refuse to
believe have refused to look at the evidence. We have not blindly
believed, they have blindly refused to look at the evidence.
To the question, "How do I know there is a God?" –
the answer is, "look at the evidence!"
Q.6. Isn’t
the Bible full of contradictions and circular reasoning? Isn’t
everyone entitled to have his own interpretation of the Bible?
Where
are the contradictions? Very few people who claim the Bible
is full of contradictions have ever read the Bible or can point
out any contradictions. Challenge those who accuse the Bible
of being full of contradictions to prove it by showing you one.
There
are things in the Bible that seem to be contradictory,
but they all have reasonable explanations. If you offer to give
a person an explanation and they do not want to hear it, they
have revealed that their problem is NOT the alleged contradictions!
That is just a smoke screen.
? In
America we believe that a person is "presumed innocent
until proven guilty." Can you show me one of the places
the Bible contradicts itself? If you make a charge, you need
to have evidence to back it up. If the alleged contradictions
can be cleared up, would you declare the Bible innocent of the
charges? Would you then believe?
There
are things in the Bible that are difficult to understand.
? If
I were to give you a textbook on quantum physics would you understand
everything in it? You can understand far more of the Bible than
the book on quantum physics. Why do you reject the Bible and
not the science book? It is not because they do not understand.
It is because they have a spiritual and/or moral problem.
? Do
you completely understand the chemistry of digestion? Has that
kept you from eating?
How
to explain those things that seem like contradictions:
It
is not likely that you will ever have to because few if any
will come up with any.
You
must understand what constitutes a contradiction. The law of
non-contradiction is a basic law of logic. It states that a
thing cannot be both A and non-A at the same time. However it
is not contradictory to say a thing is both A and B at the same
time. Two statements may be different without being contradictory.
? If
the Bible said (and it does not) that Jesus was born in Bethlehem
and Nazareth at the same time, would this be a provable contradiction?
Yes. But to say that He was from both, since He was born in
one and raised in another is not a contradiction.
? Matthew
tells of two blind men who came to Jesus in Jericho. Mark and
Luke mention only one blind man. These statements are different,
but they are not contradictory. Mark and Luke did not say ONLY
ONE came!
? What
about differences in numbers in the Bible? Example: 2 Samuel
23:8 says a fellow slew 800 men, whereas 1 Chronicles. 11:11
says he slew 300. There are a few places in the Bible where
two writers record differing numbers concerning a particular
incident. So what? Does the number change the point? These examples
are very few, and more importantly, they do not do injury to
the point of the story.
? A
point of logic: A man is talking to a husband and wife. The
husband tells the man about a trip to the beach they took one
SATURDAY afternoon. The wife interrupts, insisting it was on
a SUNDAY afternoon. They go back and forth about it, until they
agree that whether it was Saturday or Sunday, it doesn’t
matter. But because of the discrepancy, the man immediately
comes to the conclusion that there was no trip to the beach!
He further concludes that there is probably no such thing as
the beach! In fact, he is unsure if the two people he is talking
to ever existed – and even if they do, he will never believe
anything else either of them ever say! What’s wrong with
the man’s logic?
Conclusion:
Those who hide behind the alleged contradictions are making
excuses to cover up their moral and spiritual problem.
Q.7. What
about innocent people who have never heard of Christ?
What
about the innocent people? There are none. To be innocent,
one must be sinless – perfect. No one is perfect.
? Is
anyone absolutely perfect? If the standard in heaven is absolute
perfection, which it is, are there any people who are truly
innocent?
What
about those who have never heard? For some this is a legitimate
question that is born out of a fear for those who have not heard
of Christ. For most, it is an attempt to charge God with being
unfair, and in so doing, alleviate any sense of personal obligation
to turn to Christ.
? If
the super market was giving baskets of groceries away free,
would you refuse the free groceries because there are many who
haven’t heard about the grocery give-away? No. What would
you do? You would grab your free groceries and rush to tell
your family and friends to hurry up and get to the store for
a basket of free groceries. The same applies to faith in Christ.
Those who want God’s forgiveness will take it and hurry
to tell their family and friends about Christ.
We
can assure people that God is loving and just and that He will
deal with all men fairly. Rather than worrying about those who
have not heard of Christ, encourage your friend that since he
has heard, he is most certainly responsible.
Conclusion:
The person who refuses is not refusing because of a deep heart-felt
concern for others. The person who refuses God’s grace
does so because he doesn’t think he needs it and so he
doesn’t want it. What is his problem? The people who have
never heard? No. His problem is spiritual and moral.
Q.8. Why
is there evil in the world? How could a God of love allow suffering?
This
is perhaps the most common question of all. There are two answers:
(1) God is not responsible for evil, man is. (2) God has
done something about the evil in the world.
(1)
God created the world and said it was very good. Then man chose
to disobey God’s only command, introducing sin and death
into the world.
Conclusion:
Man is responsible for evil, pain and suffering in the world
– GOD IS NOT! Evil, pain and suffering are due to man’s
choices, not God’s capricious decrees.
It’s
ironic – those who say God should not allow evil, pain
and suffering are the very people who would scream the loudest
if God did not let them make whatever choices they pleased.
? People
do many things that are contrary to God’s will. Why do
they do these things? Because they want to. If the fact that
what they do is opposed to God’s will does not deter them,
would they like it if God forced them, against their will, to
stop doing what they are doing? No.
? A
man decides to do a foolish act that will cause him great bodily
injury. He is warned by friends, but he chooses to do it anyway.
He gets injured, and then blames his friends for not stopping
him. Who is at fault?
(2)
That God is not responsible for evil will not satisfy some people
who challenge God for not doing something about it. Those who
insist on questioning further are challenging the character
of God. They suppose God is either able to do something about
the evil in the world, but does not love us enough to do so.
Or, He loves us sufficiently, but is not able to do something.
? God
loves us completely, He is able and He has done something about
the evil, pain and suffering in the world. Jesus Christ came
to earth and lived as a poor man, died a cruel, painful and
disgraceful death that He did not deserve. He then rose from
the dead, defeating sin and death for those who will believe
in and follow Him. Is God at fault for the evil, pain and suffering
even though He has warned us not to sin, and has even done something
about sin?
Conclusion:
The reason for evil, pain and suffering is human choice. If
you want to escape it, don’t charge God with wrong. Make
a choice today to receive His remedy for your sin.
Q.9. Don’t
all roads lead to heaven? Aren’t all religions the same?
If there is only one God, why so many religions?
All
religions could be wrong, but they cannot all be right. Why?
Because they contradict each other in mutually exclusive ways.
? Ask
why people reject the Bible because of alleged contradictions
(which can be proven not to exist) and yet they believe in the
universalism of all religions – which clearly contradict
each other?
Christians
are often accused of being narrow-minded because we say only
one road leads to heaven. Those who make this accusation are
the narrow-minded ones. They believe there is only one destination!
Christians acknowledge that there are two destinations. While
we say there is only one way to heaven, we agree that there
are many roads that lead to hell.
? Who
is narrow minded, the person who believes there are many roads
that all lead to the same place, or the person who acknowledges
that there is more than one possible destination? Is there any
other area of life that all choices have the same result?
When
it comes to the challenge concerning many religions, the first
thing you must do is determine whether the person is talking
about different religions or different denominations
within Christianity.
(1) If
the person is speaking about different denominations within
Christianity (e.g., Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, etc.),
assure the person that as long as a person embraces Jesus Christ
as Savior and Lord, they are Christians, no matter what Christian
denomination they are in. You do not need to apologize for there
being so many Christian denominations. In the same way that
the various tribes of the nation of Israel had differences in
customs and practices, but were still one people, so different
denominations have different emphases, but are Christian if
they are in Christ. It is too bad that the differences between
Christians have become such a stumbling block to non-believers.
So, let us endeavor to be one in Christ, while enjoying our
differences on lesser issues.
? God
allows many denominations for the same reason Baskin Robbins
has 31 flavors! Ask the person if they have sworn off food because
there are so many different kinds of restaurants, or clothing
because there are so many different styles.
(2) If
the person is speaking about different religions (e.g.,
Christian, Islam, Buddhism, and all the various cults), the
objection is based on an incorrect belief that all religions
teach things that are compatible and are worshiping the same
God, only in different ways. This is not true. All religions
(including Christianity) could be wrong, but they cannot
all be right. Why? Because they contradict one another.
Christianity
is unique. The claims of Jesus Christ are unique and exclusive.
He claims to be God and the only way to God (John 14:6). If
His claim is false, He is the most dangerous man ever to have
lived, since He has deceived more people than any other. But
if His claim is true, He must be worshiped.
? Ask
the person if he knows the unique claims of Christ. Challenge
the person to check them out honestly – after all, if Jesus
is wrong, they have nothing to lose by checking it out. But
if Jesus is right, they have everything to gain and had better
find out!
Conclusion:
People do not realize that Christianity is not compatible with
other religions. Help them see this. If they reject it, at least
they know what they are rejecting.
Q.10. Why
Jesus? Isn’t my sincerity and goodness enough? Isn’t
it arrogant for Christians to think they have the only way?
Sincerity
about error is still error.
? In
what other area of life does sincerity override error? If I
sincerely believe I have medicine that will save a sick man’s
life, but it is actually poison, will my sincerity reverse the
effects of the poison, making it a life-giving medicine?
? If
a person plays with a loaded gun, sincerely believing it is
not loaded, will his sincerity protect him if he puts the gun
to his head and pulls the trigger? If God is real and has said
there is one correct way to reach Him, how will sincerity help
me if I choose the wrong way?
Christians
are not arrogant for saying Jesus is the only way. Christians
did not initiate the idea. Jesus did. We do not say Jesus is
the only way because we believe in Him. We believe in
Him because He said He is the only way. Do you see the
difference? There is no arrogance involved.
? As
a person who breathes air, if I claim that all people need air
to breathe, am I being arrogant? No. Why? Because people do
need air to breathe. Is air necessary because I breathe it,
or do I breathe it and declare it to be necessary because it
is necessary?
Why
Jesus? Human beings were created in God’s image, and enjoyed
a perfect relationship with God. However, human beings disobeyed
God, destroying that relationship. They did this despite the
fact that God warned them of the dire consequences beforehand.
God warned man that disobedience meant death, followed by God’s
eternal wrath. There is nothing any man can do to reverse the
effects and deliver himself (much less the rest of humanity)
from God’s wrath.
God
did not want to leave us in this hopeless situation, so He made
the way back. That way is Jesus. He is the only way for
a very simple reason. To pay the penalty man deserves for his
sin, someone has to die. But since all men deserve to
die, no mere man could die for anyone else, since his death
would be what he deserved anyway. The only One able and worthy
to die for the sins of humans is God. But God cannot pay, since
it is man who owes the debt. If God were to pay, there would
be no satisfaction. It takes the power and worthiness of God
to pay the price, but it has to be done by a man.
Why
Jesus? Because Jesus is the only One who is God and man.
He is worthy because He is God. He is qualified because
He is a man. He is the only One who ever was, is, or
will be, both God and man.
? Can
a man convicted of murder be executed to pay the penalty for
another man convicted of murder? No. Why? Because his execution
was what he deserved. Why could a man who was not a murderer
give his life for one who was a murderer? Because he was innocent.
The same is true of Jesus, who is guilty of no sin – ever.
What
makes Jesus’ life worthy? We understand the concept of
one life being more significant than another. Why Jesus? His
death is the most significant death because His life had more
worth, more dignity than any other has had, has, or ever will
have.
Why
Jesus? Not only was His death more significant than any other
death – He rose from the dead! In fact, He raised Himself
from the dead. Who else has, or has even claimed to do such
a thing? His resurrection is backed by so much evidence that
for two thousand years people from all walks of life have not
only believed it, but have committed their lives to following
Jesus.
? Some
people are old enough remember the assassination of President
John F. Kennedy. How many remember the name of the man who was
killed on the same day by the same assassin who killed Kennedy?
His name was Tippet. Why did they change the name of Cape Canaveral
to Cape Kennedy? Why didn’t they name the place after Tippet?
Because we regard the attack on the life of Kennedy far more
serious than the attack on Tippet. Is there anything intrinsically
more important about Kennedy’s life than of Tippet’s?
No. But we understand a difference based on dignity. So much
so that we don’t even call it murder, we give it a special
name – assassination. As worthy as that man’s life
was, as much honor as we have bestowed upon him by naming things
after him, it has been less than 40 years since Kennedy was
killed, and to most, it is only an event in history. It has
been nearly two thousand years since Jesus was killed. People
all over the world bow their heads on Good Friday in remembrance
of the death of Jesus Christ. Even those who are not Christians
recognize this day. Groups of people at various times and in
various places around the globe gather together to celebrate
communion "in remembrance of Jesus."
Conclusion:
Why Jesus? Invite the skeptic who dares ask, "Why Jesus?’
to answer this question: "Considering who Jesus is, why
haven’t you bowed before Him yet?
Q.11. I
do not understand everything. It is too complex for me.
People
do not have to understand everything to come to Christ.
That does not mean faith in Christ is without reason.
? How
many of us understand how the same dirt, water and sunshine
make an orange sweet, a lemon sour and a persimmon bitter? Does
that force you to refuse to eat fruit?
There
are many things concerning the Lord that we can understand
– but we do not need to understand them before coming
to Christ. Until a person receives Christ, he will not understand
spiritual things. If a person waits to receive Christ until
he understands it all, he will never receive Christ. Once a
person receives Christ, he will begin to understand. The Bible
teaches this in 1 Corinthians 2:14, "The natural man
does not receive the things of the spirit, nor can he know them
for they are spiritually discerned." The way to get
the spiritual discernment so that you can understand spiritual
things is to receive Christ.
There
are things about the Lord that we will never understand as long
as we live in this world. In Isaiah 55:8-9 God says, "My
thoughts are not your thoughts and My ways are not your ways,
says the Lord, for as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your
thoughts." Romans 11:33 "O the depths of the
riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable
are His judgments and His way past finding out!"
? All
science begins with "not knowing." Experimentation
and observation reveals facts that information so that a matter
can become known. Should science be abandoned because we do
not know everything?
? There
is more about evolution that is not understood than there
is that is understood. Why do people believe in evolution
when there is so little known about it?
? Think
of a game. Many games have countless intricacies and details
that the novice doesn’t understand. If a person waits to
be a grand master in Chess before playing, when will he begin?
If a person refuses to try his hand at martial arts until he
is a black belt, when will he get started? The Bible calls on
us to GROW in grace and in the KNOWLEDGE of Christ. We come
to Him with childlike faith and understanding, and then grow.
Conclusion:
What does a person need to understand before coming to faith
in Christ? We all have a serious spiritual problem. Jesus Christ
died and rose again to be the solution to our problem. For the
solution to be effective, each person must ask Jesus Christ
to come into his life and then follow Him.
Q.12. I’m
too big a sinner. You don’t know where I’ve been /
what I’ve done, I could never be a Christian.
This
objection usually comes from one of two kinds of people. Scoffers
may say this as a boast of their sin. Seekers may say this because
they are legitimately troubled about sin and fear that God would
never accept them.
If
the person is a scoffer, tell him that he shouldn’t try
to flatter himself. Though he might be quite a sinner, his sins
are no match for God’s grace. For a person to say that
he has the ability to sin more than God has the ability to forgive
is tantamount to saying that he is greater than God.
If
the person is a seeker, assure him that God’s grace is
sufficient for even his sin – no matter what it may be.
? If
God is all loving, and He is infinite, does it seem logical
that a finite being could be a bigger sinner than God is a lover?
? Would
you agree that the Apostle Paul was Christian? Yet, he was formerly
a murderer of Christians. Paul said he was the chief of sinners
– yet Jesus saved Him. The good news is that Jesus came
to save sinners.
Jesus
said that in the same way that a physician comes to heal the
sick (not the healthy) He came to forgive those who realize
their sin problem, not those who do not.
? I
don’t know if you have ever been sick and someone offered
to come clean up your house. Some people are so concerned about
how dirty their house is that they clean it up before the help
arrives! Jesus didn’t offer to forgive our sins as a nice
gesture, expecting us to clean ourselves up before He arrives.
He died and rose again to forgive our sins because we were totally
helpless to do anything to clean ourselves up. (Romans 5:6 "When
we were still without strength Christ died for us.") What
is the point of trying to clean up your home before the house
cleaner arrives?
Conclusion:
Focus on the greatness of God. God’s love and ability to
forgive is greater than anyone’s ability to sin. The only
sin that is unforgivable is rejection of God’s provision
for forgiveness, available exclusively in Christ Jesus.
Q.13. What
must I do to be saved?
This
question is seldom asked in these words. People who are asking
this question will usually ask it in other words, or without
words at all. That is why you must be sensitive if you are going
to hear this question. How do people ask this question? Two
ways:
(1) Silence.
They stop objecting. Silence may indicate a lack of interest.
But it may also be an indicator that they have run out of objections
and are ready to receive Christ.
(2) Agreement.
They start to agree with what you are saying about the Lord.
What
to do when you sense that a person may be ready: Invite the
person to commit his life to following Jesus Christ. There are
many Christians who do share their faith in Christ, but who
still have never led anyone to the Lord. Here is the probable
reason: They haven’t asked.
You
are on a camping trip. You are planning to fish and to catch
your dinner. So you tie your fishing line around a worm and
throw it into the water. What are you going to have for dinner?
Who knows, but it isn’t going to be fish! Tying fishing
line around worms and throwing your line into the water is not
fishing. It is feeding fish. You are not fishing unless you
use a hook. If the hook is missing, you will not catch fish.
Jesus
called some fishermen to be His disciples. He said, "Follow
Me and I will make you fishers of men." What is the
hook when fishing for men? You have to ask people if they would
like to receive Christ. Ask this question often. You
will catch fish! You do not even have to wait until you have
finished your presentation of the gospel. Ask at any old time.
After all, God may have them ready before you are done with
your presentation! (This means you do not have to wait
until you think they are asking "What must I do?")
? Imagine
you ingested a lethal dose of poison. You are going to die.
But you hear about an antidote. If you take the antidote, you
will live. Someone even provides you with the antidote. So you
hold the vial containing the antidote in your hand, relieved
that there is an antidote and that you know about it. What happens
if you do not open the vial and take the antidote? You die.
Knowing about Jesus is not enough. The way to receive Him is
by asking Him to forgive you of your sins and to commit your
life to following Him. So, what do you think about committing
your life to following Jesus Christ? Can you think of any reason
not to commit your life to following Jesus Christ?
Why
don’t we ask this simple question? Two reasons:
(1)
We
don’t have faith that God would actually use us to lead
someone to Christ. Good news: He will. Ask! For some
reason we do not believe that anyone would actually want to
receive Christ. Of course no one wants Christ – neither
did you! But the Holy Spirit put it in you to receive Christ,
didn’t He? Has He retired since you were saved? Have faith!
God will save people if you and I will ask people if they would
like to receive Christ.
(2) We
are afraid they will say, " no." Of course some will
say no. Maybe even most will say no. But keep asking
and some will say yes!
Our
fear that people will say no is a self-conscious fear.
We are fearful that they will say no and we will be embarrassed.
Do this:
(a) Ask
people if they want to receive Christ;
(b) If
they say no, do not be surprised, many will say no;
(c) If
they say no, do not take it personally. You didn’t ask
them to receive you, did you?
(d) If
they say no, say something like this, "I appreciate
your honesty. I hope you will want to receive Christ someday."
Then say, "If you do not mind me asking, why do you
not want to receive Christ?" By asking this, you
keep the conversation alive and you may find out that they
said no because they are not exactly sure what you are asking
them to do. This may allow you to explain something in more
detail that will help the person decide that they do want
to follow Christ.
