What
about all the misdeeds that have been done in the name of Christianity? Think
about the Crusades, or about colonialism, and all the horrible things that
happened in those times. Doesn't Christianity rightly bear the blame for those
things?
Christianity's history is not perfect. Christians have made many mistakes, and
even have done some things they knew were wrong‑just as you and I admit we do
sometimes. But the truth of the Christian message does not stand or fall on the
way Christians have acted throughout history or are acting today. The truths of
Christianity must be distinguished from the people who espouse them. We judge
the truths simply by whether there is sufficient evidence to believe them, and
the failures of Christians to live up to those truths should not stand in the
way of our belief.
The real focus of questions about the truth of Christian faith is Jesus Christ
Himself. No matter what failures we may find In Christians, Jesus Himself never
failed. He lived a life beyond reproach; even His enemies could think of no
charges of sin against Him, and so had to get people to give false testimony in
court. I'm not asking you to accept Christians; I'm asking you to accept Jesus.
But let's look at this another way, too. Jesus said He came to save sinners, not
the righteous. The Christian Church is supposed to be a haven for sinners who
have been forgiven. The Bible teaches that no one will be without sin until this
life is over (1 John 1:7‑ 10) and he is raised to live for eternity with God. In
churches sinners gather to rejoice in the knowledge that In Jesus they have
forgiveness and they encourage each other to serve Him more and more fully.
Since the Christian Church was designed by God as a hospital for the spiritually
sick, why should we be surprised to find spiritually sick people in it?
It is to Jesus Christ's claim on your life that you need to answer—not to
Christians.
If Christians have
failed in so many ways throughout history, what hope does Christianity offer to
the world?
Because Christianity knows that
people are not perfect and never will be while they live in this world, it does
not offer a hope that people will ultimately solve all our problems ourselves.
In that way, Christianity is more realistic than other religions and political
movements that claim to usher in utophias, but then collapse in ruin.
What Christianity does offer as hope to the world is the promise that God is
working things out, that God sent Jesus to pay for our sins, that Jesus overcame
our greatest enemy, death, and that we can be assured of forgiveness and eternal
friendship with God because of Jesus.
Death, that greatest enemy of every man, has been defeated by Jesus.
Non‑Christian philosophers offer no hope of defeating death. Aeschylus, for
instance, wrote, "Once a man dies, there is no resurrection," and his fellow
poet among the Greeks, Theocritus, wrote, "There is hope only for those who are
alive, but those who have died are without hope." The Roman poet Catullus wrote,
”When once our brief light
sets, there is one perpetual night through which we must sleep."
But Christianity offers great hope to all men. Jesus said, I am the resurrection
and the life; he who believes in Me shall live even if he dies, and everyone who
lives and believes in Me shall never die" (John 11: 25,26). Jesus promises
eternal life with God to all who trust Him as Savior and Lord. He also promises
a wonderful life on earth for those who commit themselves to Him: "I came that
they might have life, and might have it abundantly”,
(John 10: 10).
Compare the pessimistic views of non‑Christian thinkers with the great optimism
of the Apostle Paul: ",.. the time of my departure has come. I have fought the
good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith, in the future
there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the
righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to
all who have loved His appearing" (2 Timothy 4:6‑8).
The problem of death is real, but in Jesus Christ and His resurrection it is
solved. Thus Paul wrote, "Behold, I tell you a mystery: we shall not all sleep,
but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the
last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised
imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable must put on
imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this perishable
will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that Is written,
'Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your sting? The sting of
death is sin, and the power of sin is the law, but thanks to God, who gives us
the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 15:51‑57).
So Christianity offers hope both in this world and in the life to come. It also
offers the living Jesus to rule in our lives and to make us more and more like
Himself-loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle,
self‑controlled‑qualities the Apostle Paul called the "fruit of the Spirit"
(Galatians 5:22‑23). Don't you think the world would be a better place if people
were like this?
Yes,
but what solutions does Christianity offer to the problems of poverty and war?
Christianity encourages all people to work intelligently and diligently to
produce material goods‑food, clothing, shelter, and the many things that help
make life more comfortable for us. And it encourages people to share out of
love what they produce with those less fortunate than themselves.
Christianity's values of diligence, thrift, productivity, planning, sharing and
cooperation in economic activity have helped to lift billions of people out of
poverty. This stands in stark contrast to the records of non‑Christian
religions. Statistical studies show that, in general, the poorest nations are
those least Christian and most influenced by animism, spiritism, Buddhism, and
Hinduism‑the world‑views furthest from Christianity. The wealthiest nations, in
contrast, are those most Christian and in which people conduct their lives the
most consistently with Christian values. And these wealthier nations, where
Christianity predominates, also give more of their wealth to help the poor than
do others.
What of war? Again, Christianity is realistic. So long as men remain sinners,
there will probably always be war, or the threat of war. But Christianity does
encourage people to learn to understand each other, to forgive each other for
wrongs suffered, to love each other and to protect the innocent against
aggressors who would harm them. And Christianity tells us that ultimately God
will intervene in the affairs of men and bring war to an end‑though we do not
know when that will occur.
Ultimately it comes down to individuals. Real change for the world begins with
change in our own hearts, and Jesus promises to make that change. Again, the
question is, "How are you going to respond to Jesus? Will you believe in Him?"
RETURN TO QUESTION PAGE
You've offered some very persuasive arguments. I want to believe in
Jesus as my Savior. But I don't want to give up my way of living.
The desire to control our own lives is strong in all of us. And it is not
entirely bad. But none of us thinks himself capable of living all his life
without advice from people more knowledgeable that he about some things. When
finally we act, we do so voluntarily, either accepting or rejecting the advice
we get. We need good advice to live fruitful fulfilled lives.
But good advice is not all we need. We also need the ability to do what the good
advice tells us to do. Jesus can give us that ability. He not only offers
instruction in how to achieve fulfillment, joy, peace, and love in this life, He
also offers us the power to do it, by offering to send the Holy Spirit to live
in us and empower us to live as His disciples (Acts 1:8).
Remember, self‑control is one part of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians
5:22,23)‑what God says grows more and more in those who submit themselves to
Jesus. Jesus does not make us into robots He enables us to control ourselves to
do good instead of bad. It isn't a matter of our giving up control of our lives
when we receive Jesus; it is a matter of our controlling them in a way
consistent with the goodness and love of Jesus.
I suppose so. But if I were to become a Christian, I’d have to give up too
much, and I don't want to do that.
What kinds of things would you have to give up? On the one hand, you would have
to be willing to give up sin-though Jesus realizes you and I are never capable
of living absolutely sinless lives. But sin is what brings unhappiness into our
lives‑lying, cheating, stealing, being unfaithful to people, coveting what
belongs to others. So it shouldn't be distasteful, though it might be difficult,
to give up sin.
On the other hand, committing your life to Jesus could mean you would have to
give up prestige in the eyes of non‑Christians around you. Sometimes prejudice
against Christians makes it difficult for a Christian to gain the respect of his
peers.
This brings us to a question of ultimate loyalty. To whom should we be loyal?
Should we be loyal to God, who created us and loves us so much that He died on
the cross to pay for our sins, and who offers us salvation if we will simply
believe in Jesus? Or should we be loyal to non‑Christian people, who, like us,
were created by God and owe their very existence to Him? To whom-ultimately-must
we answer for the way we live our lives? I think the answer is obvious.
Besides this, what we get in return for what we give up is much greater, much
more valuable. What could be more valuable to us than eternal life with God,
instead of eternal suffering apart from Him? Nothing in the world could be so
valuable!
This is why Jesus said, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny
himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his
life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake shall find it. For
what will a man be profited, if he gains the whole world, and forfeits his own
soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Matthew 16:24‑26).
The abundant life of the Christian does not begin only after death. It begins
now. Jesus said, "Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or
brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and
for the gospel's sake, but that he shall receive a hundred times as much now in
the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and
farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life" (Mark
10:29‑30).
When someone becomes a Christian, he becomes a member of a great family that
stretches all around the world. Other Christians are delighted to meet him. When
he needs a place to stay‑a house‑he is welcome in the homes of Christians. When
he needs friends or family, Christians stand ready to be friends and family to
him. When he cannot provide for his own food or clothing, Christians are ready
to provide for him. Indeed, Christians are told by Jesus to do these things for
non-Christians as well. But it is when someone has become a Christian that he
most clearly recognizes the availability of this help from his brothers and
sisters in Jesus and so may benefit from it.
Jesus was realistic about the Christian life. There will be persecutions,
and we will give up some things‑but what we receive In exchange is worth many
times more to us even in this life‑and in the life to come, we will spend a
joyful eternity with Him.
But I want to go to the university and get a job first. Then maybe I’ll
become a Christian. After all, being a Christian could get in the way of my
career.
Jesus told a story that applies directly to people who want to put off their
commitments to Him:
"The land of a certain rich man was very productive. And he began reasoning to
himself, saying, What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?' And
he said, This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger
ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my
soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease,
eat, drink, and be merry."' But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your
soul is required of you: and now who will own what you have prepared" (Luke
12:16‑20)
You simply cannot know when you will die. Putting off believing in Jesus now and
making Him your Lord may mean putting it off forever.RETURN TO QUESTION PAGE
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