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We are still addressing questions that AIF internationals have asked. 

Q:  Proof that God exists.

A:  Everywhere you go, you find religion. You find it in the remotest reaches of Tibet and the busy streets of Manhattan. You find it in ghettos and mansions; you find it in blacks, whites, Hispanics, Asians, Inuits, Filipinos, Polynesians, you name it. You find it in scholars and simple fishermen, in men and women, in elderly and youth. You can’t escape religion. In fact, many atheists complain of the fact that they can’t escape religion. It’s everywhere they turn, and it frustrates them.

So let’s ask a question. Why is religion everywhere?

Every religion is an attempt to connect with ultimate reality, and different religions say different things about that reality. But every religion has one thing in common. It assumes that ultimate reality lies beyond the physical world. The human race possesses a sense that there is something else out there. This sense lies behind Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Taoism, Shinto, spirit religions, cults and virtually all nonmaterialistic philosophies, and this sense exists strongly in countries that are officially atheistic. The Soviet Union, in the height of its power, could not squash out religion. Communist China cannot convince masses of its own people that this world is the end game, and the fact that North Korea uses such force to fight against religion suggests that religion’s appeal is strong in its own people. If religion had no appeal, North Korea wouldn’t have to do anything. Why then do most people possess this sense that there is a reality beyond atoms? And why do they so strongly desire to connect with that reality?

I’ll let C.S. Lewis explain: “Creatures are not born with desires unless satisfaction for these desires exists. A baby feels hunger; well, there is such a thing as food. A duckling wants to swim; well, there is such a thing as water. Men feel sexual desire; well, there is such a thing as sex. If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.” (Mere Christianity, Bk. III, chap. 10, “Hope”)

Religious desire suggests that the human race was made for something beyond earth. This is not a proof that God exists. Nor does it necessarily delineate between the God of Christianity and the beliefs of other religions. Religious desire is merely a clue that seems to point broadly away from materialism and toward the existence of a different type of reality.

The fact that some people claim to have no religious desire is no argument against the desire. Some people are asexual, some are heterosexual, some homosexual. But sexual desire is real and nearly universal in the human race. So it is with religious desire.

The fact that religious desire is broad is no argument against the desire. Nor does it mean that all religions are equal. Again, the sexual desire is broad. It produces, adulterers, pedophiles, homosexuals, premarital sex, masturbation, bestiality, pornography, and more. It also produces legitimate marital sex between a man and woman. Sexual desire points to the existence of sex, not to the legitimacy of every act. Religious desire points to the existence of a spiritual reality, not to the legitimacy of every religion.

Now what I wish to argue is that the existence of God is a better explanation of religion than materialism is. If God exists, then religious desire makes perfect sense, but if materialism is true, we have a rather sticky phenomenon. The overwhelming majority of people who have ever lived have a sense that materialism is not true. So if materialism is true, we must have a materialistic explanation for a powerful sense that materialism is not true.   In other words, materialism must explain why most people don’t believe it. Again, this is not a proof that materialism is false; it is merely a steeper hill that materialism must climb.

And almost universally, atheists do propose an explanation. Evolution. They claim that religious desires, feelings and beliefs are the result of evolutionary forces, and that at some point in the past, religion helped the species survive. Consequently, religious desires became hardwired inside us, and today, they are merely leftovers from the past. There are, of course, variations on this theme, but within the materialistic worldview, evolution is the great explainer of this religious sense. Religious desires and beliefs exist not because they have any connection to reality but because they helped the species survive.

On the surface, this thinking seems quite plausible. It offers a naturalistic explanation of religion. But philosophers for years have pointed out the self-defeating strategy of appealing to evolution to explain such phenomena. If it is true that people develop desires and beliefs because those desires and beliefs are useful and not because they reflect reality, then evolution produces usefulness and not necessarily truth.

But this argument cuts both ways.  If religious beliefs are just the result of evolution, then aren’t materialist beliefs the same?  Does Sam Harris believe atheism because it is true?  Or because it is useful to him?  If materialism is true, then Sam Harris’ beliefs are the result of materialism, but materialism doesn’t necessarily produce truth.

It gets stickier.  Atheists claim that the human ability to reason has evolved. Fair enough. I would then ask them to be consistent in their philosophy. If evolution produces usefulness and not necessarily truth, and if our reason is a product of evolution, then our reason may be useful, but it also may have no connection to truth at all. So then. If evolution has produced reason, why should I trust my reason?

The irony of this is that the atheist constantly says he is the rational one. Reason is the bridge he is standing on. But when he says that the foundation for reason involves nonrational forces and random mutations, he blows up his bridge.

It should be quite obvious that the notion of God offers a simple, straightforward foundation for both religion and reason. With God, we can trust our reason because it actually has a rational foundation. And with God, we see quite clearly why people the world over have this sense that there is something like a God. We were made in His image to know Him. It should not surprise us then, if we find people wanting something beyond earth.

Religion and reason do not prove the existence of God, but I believe that God offers the simplest and most common sense explanation of these phenomena.

This is a continuation of a question asked by an international at AIF.

 Q: Proof that God exists.

 A: I was communicating with a scholar interested in human rights. He was not a Christian, but he knew that humans have rights beyond those of animals. Here is some of our conversation:

You focus on human rights, and that focus is good. But can human rights be its own moral foundation?   In other words, if there is no God, why care about human rights? If there is no God, what makes humans more valuable than monkeys? If there is no God, then we are all atoms just as dogs are all atoms. Why is our arrangement of atoms more special than a cow’s arrangement? Atheist writers have been unable to answer this question. They say that they can be atheists and simultaneously care about human rights, and they are correct. But they have no explanation for the moral foundation that makes human rights right. I believe that the idea of human rights assumes God. This assumption is in the American Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal, and that they are endowed by their Creator with inherent and inalienable rights.” Therefore, I believe that your focus points you to God, even if you do not recognize God in your motives. What do you think?

Those words prompted a conversation. So let me ask you what I asked my friend. Consider. You will kill and eat a chicken, but you will not kill and eat a man. Why?  You assume that humans are valuable, but I want you to think about why.  Where does our value come from?

If God does not exist, then nature is our creator, but an impersonal nature can have no moral authority or ability to give us special value. We are the random products of evolutionary forces just as mosquitoes are. It makes no sense to talk about human worth or rights. If, however, human beings are created in the image of God, then human rights make sense. God is the common sense foundation for them.

Attempts to answer this question without resorting to God always assume a moral standard. Sometimes that standard says that intelligent beings are more valuable than less intelligent ones. Sometimes it says that a species cannot survive if it treats its own members poorly. But if the universe is neither personal nor rational, who cares whether the human race survives? And who cares whether an organism is intelligent or dumb? If the universe is neither personal nor rational, then it has no purpose, and if it has no purpose, then the survival of the species can achieve no purpose. You see, even these explanations assume some standard, some purpose beyond us. And that takes us back to God.

The existence of human rights is not itself a proof of God’s existence, but, like the phenomena we discussed the past two weeks, it does point us in the direction of God. If you assume that humans have intrinsic rights, then God is the best inference from the data.

Interestingly, the scholar I had the discussion with saw this too.

 

 

 

This blog is a continuation of last week’s blog, in which I am addressing a question posed by an international at AIF.

Q:  Proof that God exists.

A:  Many Chinese today are morally outraged at the atrocities committed at Nanjing. Indonesians are outraged at the bloodshed of Suharto. Koreans rage against Kim Jong Un. Americans were angry when Muslims flew planes into the World Trade Centers.   People have been outraged against the bloodshed of Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Amin, and Pol Pot. They have raged against the slavery in America, the apartheid in South Africa, and the corruption of politicians virtually everywhere. The world gives us plenty opportunity to show moral anger, but those opportunities are not just reserved for high-level international events. You are angry when a colleague falsely accuses you of cheating or when a driver hits your car and then blames you for the accident. Such behavior is wrong, and you know it.

You believe in moral absolutes, and you can’t escape the belief. You are human.   If you wish to say, “No, no. Moral absolutes don’t exist,” I shall have to reply that you don’t believe your own words. You say “morality is not absolute,” but then you turn around and complain when someone does wrong to you.   If morality is relative, then you have no complaint, no argument. You can’t say that your co-worker was wrong to steal your work if wrong does not exist.

So let’s get past this nonsense you sometimes hear about morality being relative. No one believes that. Including the people who say it.

It, thus, seems as if there is an absolute moral standard that both you and I claim to understand (though imperfectly) and that we assume other people also understand. We do not believe this standard is based on our culture, for when an American military jet flies into Chinese air space, the Chinese government accuses the American government of violating a moral rule involving air space. This moral rule is not something they appeal to on the basis of their culture. Instead they assume that this rule is universal and that all cultures understand it. The atheist Chinese government is, thus, appealing to a universal, moral absolute.

You believe in a moral absolute. So do I. So do Muslims. So do Hindus. So do atheists. Even big, bold Nietzsche, who wrote so strongly against morality, still believed in moral absolutes. Everyone knows that helping your neighbor is right and murdering him is wrong. It’s a human thing.

What does all this then tell us about the question of God? The fact of the matter is that God is the best explanation for the existence of moral absolutes. If God exists, moral right and wrong makes perfect sense. Morality has a foundation that is easy to see. If, however, God does not exist, then moral absolutes have no foundation, and we lose the ability to say that corporate greed is wrong.

Let’s think through this for a moment. At the West Mall at the University of Texas, I listened to an atheist student accuse Cliff Knechtle of supporting a God who ordered the slaughter of the Canaanite people. The student was morally outraged, and his moral outrage was evidence to him that God did not exist. Now what was the source of his outrage? He obviously had a powerful moral sense, and he was appealing to a moral standard that he understood, and that he expected the ancient Hebrews and Cliff Knechtle to also understand. He was an atheist, yet he appealed to a moral argument against God.

His appeal was ironic, for a moral argument against God assumes a moral absolute. If there is no moral absolute, then the student’s argument falls apart. But the moment you admit a moral absolute, you are back to God, for where did your moral absolute come from?

The strongest arguments against God are the moral ones, largely because of their emotional appeal. But the problem with them is that the atheist has to steal from God in order to argue against Him. This is the downfall of the famous problem of evil. If there is no evil, then what’s the problem? If there is evil, then there must be a moral standard that defines good and evil. Where did that standard come from?

Atheism so far has failed to provide a plausible, internally consistent answer to that question. Atheists want to get rid of the idea of absolutes but still cling to them when we talk about Hitler or the guy who punched them in the face. They want it both ways, but they can’t have it both ways. Theism, however, makes perfect sense of moral absolutes. Moral absolutes are not proof that God exists, but they are evidence that points toward God and away from atheism. God simply makes better sense of this phenomenon.

 

I am addressing questions posed by members of Austin International Fellowship. Today will be only a partial answer to the question.

Q: Proof that God exists.

 A: That’s a broad question, and the answer to it depends on what you mean by “proof.” Let me explain. Personally, I believe I have proof that my wife loves me, but if someone doubted my wife’s love, I don’t think I could prove to him that she loves me. The skeptic could always say that my wife’s words, gifts and actions had some other explanation. I would, thus, have sufficient proof for me but not for everyone else. In that sense, the skeptic always has an out.

For this reason, I don’t like the word “proof.” It has more than one meaning, and if you take the strictest meaning, then you can prove practically nothing, including things most people take for granted. For example, most people believe there is good proof that the Holocaust happened, but some people deny this. To them, proof is lacking. Now obviously the Holocaust happened, but I’m not likely going to prove it to the deniers. Therefore, instead of “proof that God exists” let’s talk about reasonable evidence. Is it reasonable to believe that God exists?

Yes. A thousand times yes. Intelligent, rational people have believed in God’s existence for thousands of years, and they will continue to do so for thousands more. Why? Is it because they are deluded? Or is there reasonable evidence that points to God? I believe there is reasonable evidence that points to God. So let me briefly give some of that evidence. Nothing I say will be new, and nothing I say will be a proof in the strictest sense. The skeptic will always have an out, but I don’t believe anyone can say these reasons are unreasonable.  For purposes of space, I will stick to the main arguments and leave alone all the objections and answers to the objections.

 

The Existence of the Universe

The universe either began or it didn’t. Most scientists today say that the universe began. They date its beginning at about 13.8 billion years ago. Common sense tells us that the universe began, for every other physical thing we see had a beginning.

Once you grant that the universe had a beginning, you need to ask what caused it.  This is crucial, for everything that begins has a cause outside itself. This is also common sense. A thing cannot cause itself to exist, for if it causes itself to exist, it already exists before it causes itself to exist. This is obvious nonsense. Therefore, the beginning of the universe had a cause outside the universe. It is rather silly to say that the universe popped into existence on its own.

What then caused the universe? Since the universe can’t create itself, it follows that something with immense power must have existed outside the universe and prior to the universe. Logic and common sense are now starting to point us in the direction of God. This argument is not a strict proof, mind you, but the explanation of God is an extremely reasonable inference from the data. No one can say you are irrational for believing that God caused the universe to begin. That explanation actually makes sense.

 

Apparent Design in the Universe

William Paley gave the most famous rendition of the argument from design. He said that if you take a walk and see a watch lying on the ground, you immediately assume a watchmaker. You do not think that all of those working parts just randomly flew together and presto, a watch. He then said that the universe we see is like a watch with many intricate parts, organized and working together. He concluded that the best inference from the data is that the universe has a watchmaker. Paley’s argument still stands today because it has an immense common sense approach to data. It is intuitively persuasive. Even if you disagree with him, you still see the power of the argument.

The idea that the universe looks designed is not at all unreasonable. Richard Dawkins, one of the most outspoken atheists on the planet today, said this:  “Biology is the study of complicated things that give the appearance of having been designed for a purpose.” The Blind Watchmaker, p. 1. In other words, one of the staunchest opponents of the design argument admits that the universe does indeed look designed.

Ok. We say, simply, that if the universe looks designed, maybe it is. Is that unreasonable? The coding in DNA seems to suggest a coder. The intricacies in the neurological system, the complexity of the single cell, the mathematical precision of the movements of the heavens, all these and more seem to point to design. In fact, if the universe looks designed, the most reasonable position is to assume design unless you have strong evidence against it. The nature of the universe, thus, puts the burden of proof squarely on those who deny design.

One of the ironies of arguments against design is that they never eliminate design as an explanation. Arguments against design say that the appearance of design comes not from a designer but from random actions and natural laws and processes. The problem is that these random actions cannot produce anything resembling design without the presence of natural laws and processes, and those laws and processes have the appearance of design.

If you want to get into the science more, I suggest exploring the scientific arguments surrounding the theory of intelligent design. Read both sides. For proponents of intelligent design try Stephen Meyer Signature in the Cell or Darwin’s Doubt, Douglas Axe Undeniable: How Biology Confirms Our Intuition That Life is Designed, Michael Denton Evolution: A Theory in Crisis, or Michael Behe Darwin’s Black Box. For the critics read Michael Shermer Why Darwin Matters, Niall Shanks God, the Devil, and Darwin: A Critique of Intelligent Design, or Richard Dawkins The Blind Watchmaker. If you don’t have time to read entire books, try listening to a debate between Stephen Meyer and one of his critics. You’ll get to hear both sides in about an hour. You can access these debates on Youtube or elsewhere online. Just search for them.

I think you will find that the idea of design has some substantial scientific backing.

 

 

 

We are in the midst of a series in which I address questions posed by internationals in AIF.  This week’s answer is part 2 of the same question.

Q: How should Christians communicate/build relationships with others who have different beliefs?

 A: The previous blog addressed issues dealing with building relationships. This blog will focus on the communication part of your question.

Communication involves two issues: what to say and how to say it. You can say the right words the wrong way and do just as much damage as if you had said the wrong words.

What Do I Say?

Let’s first address the issue of what to say. Ultimately, you want to bring the gospel, but most conversations will not be hard-core gospel conversations. You’ll talk about work and classes. You’ll talk about soccer and flowers. You’ll talk about your favorite beach or the trip your friend took last week. So talk about that stuff. Talk is part of a relationship. But when you talk, don’t hide who you are. All of these topics give you opportunity to share your faith even if technically you are not giving a gospel presentation. For example, you are talking to a friend who is concerned about an upcoming exam. Ask him if you can pray for him. Then pray. Right there. Or your friend is showing you photos of his trip to Yosemite. As you see the beauty of nature spread on the screen, give praise to the God who made it. Bring God naturally into the conversation. If you want specifics, begin by listening to your friend (see last week’s blog).

Once the conversation gets to spiritual topics, share whatever is natural for the topic. If you are talking about prayer, tell them why you pray. If you are talking about sex, give them the Biblical picture of marriage — Christ and the church. If you are talking about money, let them know that you have something better than money. These conversations are not gospel conversations in the strict sense, but they will present a Biblical worldview.

Share your story. At some point in your past, you became a Christian. What were you like before? What happened? How are you different now? Keep it short and simple. In fact, if you can’t share your story, it’s time to work on it.

Share Jesus’ story. Here are the bullets:

• God created us for a great purpose — to know Him.
• Our sin ruined everything. We can’t fulfill our purpose on our own.
• We try to achieve purpose through money, relationships, power, pleasure, etc., but our attempts bring more brokenness.
• Christ came to fix what we broke. His death and Resurrection have defeated sin. Now we can know God in Christ.
• When we trust in Christ and make Him our Lord, He restores us to our original purpose.

That’s the gospel in a nutshell. Learn it and be able to share it anywhere.

I have oversimplified for the sake of space. Every conversation is different. I have merely given you some conversational tools. They are good tools, but not every tool fits every situation. Don’t use a hammer to drive screws into a hole. To know which tool to use and when, you will need the Holy Spirit.

How Do I Say It?

With boldness (Acts 4:29). Sometimes we are so afraid we’ll offend that we never say anything spiritual. Don’t make that mistake. It is possible you will offend. The gospel is an offense (Rm 9:33; Gal 5:11; I Pet 2:8). If you do offend, let the offense come from the gospel and not from you.

With firmness (I Pet 5:12). Do not compromise the message in order to better fit your culture. If your friend says that he believes that all religions are OK, don’t agree with him or soften the gospel in order to appeal to him. The gospel brings power (Rm 1:16). Change the message, and you lose that power.

With gentleness (I Pet 3:15). Your goal is not to prove that you are right and your friends are wrong. Your goal is their soul. To get their soul, you will have to treat them with honor, respect, and gentleness. The gospel will go further when you communicate it in a manner consistent with its message.

With patience (II Pet 3:9). A child does not grow up in a day. You have to let him mature over time. The spiritual world works the same way. I know you want to see your friend enjoy the peace of Christ now, but you have to let God change him. If you move faster than God, you will be more likely to manipulate your friend’s feelings than to change his heart, but if you’ll go at God’s pace, He will change the heart. Therefore, do not expect a nonChristian to live a sexually pure life or to automatically accept everything God says. You have enough difficulty living and believing the Scriptures yourself, and you have the Holy Spirit. When you see your weakness, you will be more patient with the weaknesses of unbelievers.

With prayer (Neh 2:1-5). Last week I spoke of the importance of prayer for the relationship with your friend. Here I want to talk about the importance of prayer as you talk. You should pray as you go. As you listen to your friend, ask God what to say. As you speak, ask God to speak. In the middle of Nehemiah’s conversation with King Artaxerxes, Nehemiah shot up a prayer to God. Don’t think that because you are talking you can’t be praying.

We are continuing a series in which we address questions posed by internationals in the church.

 Q: How should Christians communicate/build relationships with others who have different beliefs?

 A: This week I will focus only on the part of your question that deals with building relationships. We’ll do a second blog next week that focuses on the communication part.

I am glad that your question assumes that Christians should engage with nonbelievers. The light must shine in the darkness. I am also glad because your question shows that you understand that the light must still be light. When we go to the darkness, we are not to lose our light. We are to shine.

Here are some principles:

Walk with God

Spend time with God daily. Pray in the Spirit. Read Scripture and let it soak into your heart. Love your local church. These practices will help keep the light in your life. If you lose your light, you have nothing to share.

 

Pray

When you meet people who do not know Christ, God will be faithful to let you know whom to pray for. Pray for them. Regularly. Pray that God will open a door for you and that He will give you clarity and wisdom (Col 4:3-6). Pray that you will be bold and that God will work signs and wonders in the life of your unbelieving friends (Acts 4:26). Pray for them to repent (II Pet 3:9), and pray not just for them but those who will believe through their word (Jn 17:20). E.M. Bounds once said: “Talking to men for God is a great thing, but talking to God for men is greater still.” In other words, before you talk to your friend about God, talk to God about your friend. You will get nowhere spiritually without prayer. You may get to know this person, you may be a great help to him or her, but without God, whatever you do will amount to nothing eternal. To get eternal things, you must bring God into the equation. Start praying.

 

Go Where They Are

Jesus came to us. We did not go to Him. Therefore, these people with different beliefs?  Do they like basketball? Play basketball with them. Or watch a game together. Do they enjoy bubble tea? Take them for a bubble tea. Are they in your lab? Talk with them in the lab. Eat lunch with them. Celebrate their birthday. Study with them. Go shopping with them. Most of these activities are pursuits you were going to do anyway. Just do them with someone else.

 

Listen Well

To share the gospel, you need to know your audience. Ask them about their story. How did they get here? Why did they choose Austin? What do they most miss? What do they hope to do? Have them tell you about their family, their background, their interests. Ask them what they believe spiritually. And when they tell you, ask questions to help you understand. For example, if they say they are atheists, ask them why. If they say, “Because I have a hard time believing things I can’t see,” you’ve just learned something about them. Don’t be quick to slam them if their views are not Biblical. You are asking in order to understand, not to argue, and you are dealing with a human being, not a website comments section.  When you ask them, be genuinely interested. You will get further with people spiritually if you spend more time listening than talking. Then when you do talk you can actually address real issues they have. You know. Diagnose before you treat.

 

Meet Needs

Do they need a ride to the grocery store? If you have a car, give them a ride. Maybe you can help them when they are sick or when they have to move. Maybe they need a place to stay for a week, and you say, “You can sleep in my apartment.” Help them pick a professor or an advisor.   Show them where to find food from their country.   Be a friend. This principle — meet needs — naturally flows out of the previous two. If you spend time with people where they are and you listen well, you will discover what needs they have. Go help them.

 

Let Them Meet Your Needs

Don’t be so strong that people can’t help you. Are you having a problem understanding a concept in a class? Ask for help. An unbeliever can help you just as much as a believer can. People don’t have to have Christ to understand aerospace engineering. Maybe you need a ride to the grocery store. Ask. Maybe you are sick or need to move. Ask. Be real. Don’t be this superman or superwoman who is so spiritual that you never have any needs or struggles. Let your friends see that you are a regular human being just as they are.

 

Apologize When Necessary

This is part of being real. And the reality is that sometimes you sin and nonChristians see it. You say things you regret. You get angry over flea-size issues. You forget to pick up your friend or forget that your roommate asked you not to put the mugs in the top shelf. When you realize that you have ignored your friend or mistreated another person, take responsibility. Confess your sin and ask for their forgiveness. When they see how you handle your own sin, they may be surprised, for humility is not normal in the world they live in. Sometimes your sin can be an open door for Christ.

 

Introduce Them to the Body of Christ

No one ever becomes a Christian because of only one person. Think of your own conversion. In your story, you became a Christian because of the influence of multiple people. One Christian was praying for you though you never knew it. Another showed you great kindness when you first moved here. A third was able to explain the message of Christ in a simple way, so that the light bulb turned on in your mind. You saw the love of a group. You saw joy in more than one person. You saw a Christian show integrity when most people from your culture would not. These are the sorts of things that draw people to Christ. The reality is that you cannot bring people to Jesus by yourself. The Holy Spirit will use a community, not just you. Therefore, don’t put pressure on yourself to do everything. Instead bring them to God’s people, and let the church be strong where you are weak.

So. Throw a party and invite your Christian and nonChristian friends together. When you watch that basketball game, do it with five people instead of two.

 

Respect Their Culture as Much as Possible

If your friend is Muslim, don’t serve pork. If she is vegetarian, don’t serve meat. If he is fasting for Ramadan, don’t offer food during the day. Celebrate their holidays. Take off your shoes when you enter their home if that is their culture. People will appreciate your efforts to accommodate their cultures. Ask them about their culture and if they have any practices you should know about. Understand, however, that you may not be able to accommodate everything. You should not skip church because Sunday morning is the best time to get together in your friend’s culture. You will lose your light. Nor should you approve of Western sexual ethics just because your roommate lives them in front of your face. You have to walk with God. But in most issues, you should be able to respect the other person’s culture.

I hope you see that everything in this blog is basic, common sense. Rather than shaking your world with radical, new concepts, I hope I have merely confirmed what you already knew and have, thus, emboldened you to practice it with confidence.

This is an ongoing series in which I am addressing questions that internationals in AIF have asked.

Q: What do I say to someone who criticizes me for going to church?

 A:  The Short answer: Attending church is important … I can’t grow in Christ if I don’t go to church … I really enjoy it … I want to be with God’s people … God wants me to worship with His people.

If someone questions the fact that you attend church every week, any of these answers works, and you probably can think of others. In that sense, I don’t know that you need much advice from me. Listen to the Spirit and give them a simple, straightforward explanation of why you go to church. When people question you, they are generally not looking for a big, long discourse.

The Real Issue:  In most cases, people who criticize you for going to church are not genuinely interested in your reasons for going. They are more likely upset that you don’t do something else that they would rather see you do. Maybe they want to go shopping with you or watch a game or go to the park, but you tell them you’re going to church. Sometimes they have negative stereotypes of Christians and are concerned that you are spending too much time with “those” people. They don’t want you to become just like their stereotype.

The key to your response is not so much having the perfect answer but being OK with the criticism. You say people criticize you for going to church.  So what?  Let them criticize you. You have to walk with God, and the closer you walk with God, the less you will be swayed by people who want you to walk away from God. I am not saying, “Don’t care for your friend or family member.” Rather I am saying, “Don’t let the criticism get into your head.” Spend regular time with your local church, and if criticism comes, then criticism comes.

It is far more important for you as a Christian to understand that if you are to walk with God, you must be with His people regularly. If you abandon your local church, your faith will eventually wither away. In fact, if you abandon your local church, your faith has already begun to wither. You need the body of Christ.

Going Deeper:  I have given you the basic principle because your question is framed in the broadest way possible. But you might dig deeper. When someone criticizes your practice of going to church, you may have an open door for a spiritual conversation. They brought the topic up, so ask them what their specific issue is. You may have an opportunity to share more than just your reasons for going to church.

This blog is a continuation of a series of questions that internationals in our church have asked.

 Q: If someone asks you for the reason for the hope that is in you, how would you respond?

 A: I suppose I should begin answering this question by stating what my hope is. Biblical hope has certainty just as faith does. Biblical hope is not the sort of hope people mean when they say, “I hope it will be sunny tomorrow.” That’s something more like a wish. In addition, Biblical hope deals with the future. Thus, the hope that is in me is a certainty that my future will be glorious in Christ.

Now. To the question. What reason can I give for the hope that is in me? Lots of reasons actually. In fact I could give a thousand reasons, depending on the context of the question. Some of those reasons would deal with apologetics. Others would be personal. Some would deal with what I see in life. Others with what I see in the church. Still others with what I see in me. But, in the end, all of them would somehow deal with what I see in God through Christ as related by the Scriptures.

So why am I certain that I have a glorious future in Christ? First of all, the Scriptures promise me this. I have an inheritance imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for me (I Pet 1:4). I will see his face (Rev 22:4). I have eternal life (I Jn 5:11). We could go on. I understand that for some people, the Bible is not a reason, but you’re asking me for my reason, and that will be part of my answer because I’ve seen that the Bible is reliable.

Second, I see what Jesus has already done. If He loved me so much that He went to the Cross to pay for my sin, then will He not graciously give me all things? (Rm 8:32) The Cross is both the means to my hope and the proof that God will grant me that hope. I do not need to worry about the love of God for me. I see it plainly in the Cross.

Third, I have God’s Spirit, and His Spirit is like a down payment, a guarantee of a future inheritance (Eph 1:13-14). His Spirit gives me abundant peace and joy from the inside. Christ makes my heart bubble over. I see as plain as the sun that Christ fulfills what He promises here on Earth. How much more then can I trust Him for what He promises later?

These are the reasons I would first choose to give. These reasons may then initiate a conversation like “How do you know the Bible is reliable?” Or “How do you know Jesus died and rose again?” Those questions then take us into the realm of apologetics, and there are good answers to those questions, but they are not the question you asked me.

 

We have been addressing real questions posed by internationals in our fellowship.  Today’s question deals with suffering.

Q: How do I endure longsuffering/agony in this fallen world without falling into sin?

 A: This question certainly fits the theme of I Peter that we have been preaching through, and I suppose I need to begin with a disclaimer. When we deal with suffering, it is much easier for me to talk than to do. I make no claims of being one who suffers well. So as I point out a path, I must tell you up front that that path is hard.   It is easier to see it than to walk it just as it is easier to see the path up Mt. Everest than to walk it. Nonetheless here are a few principles that Scripture teaches.

 

Suffering is a Normal Part of the Christian Life 

If you know in advance that suffering is something God promises you (Jn 16:33; Ph 1:29), you will be better prepared when it comes. And, yes. It will come. If, however, you believe a prosperity gospel that says that suffering shows your lack of faith, then you will be ill-prepared when suffering knocks on your door. In fact, you will be questioning your faith. Therefore, the first thing I want to say is that you should not be surprised when suffering comes as if it were some strange thing (I Peter 4:12).

 

Focus on Eternal Things

Suffering is a consequence of sin. It is, thus, a reminder of the transitory nature of earth. Paul said, “our light and momentary afflictions are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all” (II Cor 4:17). Jesus said that it is in this world where we shall have tribulations. But Scripture shows us that when we leave this world “he shall wipe away every tear” (Rev 21:4). In other words, this world equals tribulation. Eternity equals peace. When an athlete focuses on the championship trophy, that focus helps him get through the grueling workout. He sees that the hardship is temporary, and the reward is worth it. He has a goal at the end. Paul strained for what lies ahead and pressed on toward the goal of the upward call in Christ (Ph 3:13-14). So must we.

 

Walk with God

This is easier said than done, and perhaps I am stating the obvious, but your overall walk with God affects everything. As I have said before, a healthy person handles stress better than a sick one. Spiritually, this principle is the same. Spiritually healthy people handle difficulty better than spiritually weak people. And just as physical health involves many different things — eating right, exercising, getting good sleep, shunning obvious dangers, maintaining healthy relationships, reducing stress, having a proper work balance — so too does spiritual health involve many different things. Spend time daily in God’s Word, put your heart into the Scriptures, pray from the heart, share your faith, show integrity in your dealings with others, give yourself to a local church, find a way to serve the body of Christ, abstain from the passions of your flesh, and more. If you have a heart given to Christ and not to your earthly desires, you will be better able to endure suffering without sinning.

 

Commit to the Process

Sometimes when people ask questions about how we should handle a specific situation, what they want is a magic formula — two or three specific steps that they can immediately practice. They want to take a pill and make the pain go away. But God isn’t really a God of the five steps to reducing stress. His solutions are deeper than that. He wants you. Heart. Soul. Mind. Strength. He is not particularly interested in a few magic steps. His method is to build men and women.   And frankly, one of the tools He most uses to build men and women is the suffering you mention in your question.

When a surgeon does open heart surgery, the patient willingly submits himself to having his chest cut open. Why? Why go through all the pain? You know the answer. It is because the patient believes that his heart will be better off with the surgery. The patient then must trust the surgeon. This is how it is with God and suffering. You see, your heart and my heart are filled with gunk, and God, in His mercy, puts us on the operating table and cuts us open in order to work on our hearts. And “suffering” is often the name we give to God’s surgery. It hurts, yes. But can you trust the surgeon? When you see that your heavenly surgeon is trustworthy, you will be more willing to commit to the process.

 

 

Q: If I do wrong again and again, I feel guilty. I think it makes my mind hard, but I can’t stop. What can I do?

A: People have written entire books on this question. Therefore, like many other questions in this series, my answer will stick to broad principles and merely scratch the surface.

What you describe is what Paul describes in Romans 7: “For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate … For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.” (vv 15, 18-19) Paul concluded from his experience that “sin … dwells in my members.” (23) In other words, he saw not just that he sins but that he is a sinner from the inside out. Your experience should make you see the same thing.

Imagine for a moment that a three-year-old boy tried to wrestle against the Olympic gold medalist in wrestling. The boy would not stand a chance. The gold medalist would defeat him, and after the boy lost, if he decided to wrestle again, the gold medalist would defeat him again. And again. And again. As many times as they wrestled, the gold medalist would win. He is much stronger than the boy. And much craftier in the art of wrestling.

Now you are the three-year-old, and sin is the gold medalist, and every time you get on the mat with sin, you lose. Sin is stronger than you. And craftier. We have to see this, and sometimes it takes the experience you describe of sinning over and over and being unable to stop ourselves to see how weak we are. The sin is not good, but when you begin to see the depths of your sin, that insight is a necessary step toward righteousness. This is when you begin to see the need for grace. This is when you begin to call upon God and say, “I can’t live without you!”

When you begin to see that you are sinful to the core, you need to deal with two things. The first is your feelings of guilt, and the second is the business of beginning to live in righteousness. The gospel deals with both these things.

First, let’s talk about your guilt feelings. Those feelings are certainly natural, but if you are in Christ, you need to understand that the sin is gone — it’s covered by the blood of Christ. You must believe this. You must hold onto it. The Cross is God’s remedy against overwhelming guilt. It is not an excuse to sin. We do not say, “Oh great! God cleanses my sin so let me roll around in it.” That thinking is an abuse of the Cross. But when we do sin, we confess it and say, “Praise you, Lord, that you have made me clean in Christ.” John said “if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (I Jn 1:9)

Listen. You may be living in Romans 7 and may have committed the same sin for the 1000^th time. You may be tired of committing the same sins, and you don’t think God could ever forgive you for disobeying Him again and again. But if you are in Christ, you are clean. Period. You may not feel clean, but your feelings do not match reality. It’s time to see reality. Through the Cross, Christ has justified you, reconciled you to Himself, redeemed you from sin, and forgiven all your wrongs. Instead of doubting these truths, believe them. Praise God for them. That is how you fight the guilty feelings. You dwell on the love of God shown through the work of the Cross and you get back up.

The second part of your response will deal with living in righteousness. We must understand that while Christ may forgive our sins again and again, He does not forgive so that we may continue in sin. Forgiveness is true — praise the Lord it is — but it is not the end of the story. God is not interested in merely forgiving broken people. He wants to transform them.   The gospel is more than forgiveness. It is a new life.

From your question, however, I am guessing that sometimes you do not see this new life. This again is where the gospel comes in. In Christ, you are not just forgiven. You are new. And just as it may not feel as if you are forgiven, so too, it may not feel as if you are new. But you are new. Whether you feel it or not. The same Scripture that says you are justified and forgiven also says that you are dead to sin and alive to God (Rm 6:1-11), and that you are sanctified or holy (I Cor 1:2, 30; 6:9-11; Eph 1:4; Heb 10:10). This is your identity. Scripture says that in Christ you are clean, new, and holy. Those things are facts. We then need to align our feelings with the facts.

Please do not misunderstand. I am not saying we are perfect. Christians still sin, but even when we sin, we are still holy in Christ. It’s who we are in Him. The work of living out a holy life actually begins by believing that in Christ we are holy. We walk by faith, not by sight. So you can begin by believing that you are dead to this sin that you keep doing.

Next, it is important to know that fighting sin is not a matter of fighting sin. Think of it this way. In the beginning of Romeo and Juliet, Romeo likes a girl named Rosalind. He can’t get her off his mind. His friend Benvolio comes and tries to get him off of Rosalind, and Father Laurence chides him for thinking on Rosalind, but no one succeeds. That is, until Romeo meets Juliet. Then his passion for Rosalind disappears. “Rosalind? Who is she?” Romeo could not fight his passion for Rosalind until he found a passion for someone else. Fighting sin is the same way. You will not defeat sin by saying, “I won’t sin. I won’t sin. I won’t sin.” You will fight sin by finding a passion for Christ. Fighting sin is not a matter of keeping yourself from sin. Instead it is a matter of giving yourself to Christ. When you lose yourself in Christ you will begin to find your lifestyle changing.

Therefore, in this process of overcoming a sin that you keep falling into, I want to point you to Christ. I also want you to understand that in Christ your identity is new. You are no longer the old you who likes to argue or drink or view pornography. You are dead to those things. You are alive to God. God does not change us by changing our behavior. Instead, He changes our behavior by changing us. Therefore, do not focus on the behavior. Focus on Christ and on who He has made you to be through the gospel. Righteousness is His work, and if we will trust Him and passionately follow Him, then “He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it.” (Ph 1:6)

If you want to read more, the two best resources I have read on this topic are The Gospel Mystery of Sanctification by Walter Marshall (a puritan from the 1600s) and The Normal Christian Life by Watchman Nee (Ni To Sheng). The book by Nee is the easier of the two to read.