Category Archives: Aplogetics

Aplogetics, Reasons to Believe

Will the Real God Please Stand Up?

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Exclusivity

Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. Isaiah 46:9

The God (Jehovah), who claims to have created everything, claims exclusivity.  He says there is “none like me.”  But others make the same claim.  How can we know the truth about the real God with so many choices?  Can there be many gods?

Elijah gave the people a choice between a false god and a true God:

 “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people answered him not a word. 1 Kings 18:21

Most of the people of Elijah’s time were on the side of the prophets of Baal.  It is an exciting story to see how proof was provided to those who were deceived by the hierarchy of religion to believe in a non-existent god.  The story is recorded in 1 Kings 18: 1-40.

Anyone can claim to be God.  Anyone can claim to “know the truth,” even non-believers, i.e., Atheists.   Agnostics may say, “There is no such thing as truth,” or “Truth is whatever you want it to be.” “You have your truth, and I have mine.”  These phrases are an easy, neat, clean set of words that are opinions without any meaning or proof. They have no basis in reality and are lazy world views. Reality states that a truth is true whether we like it or not.  The law of non-contradiction states that two opposing claims cannot both be true.

The World of Gods.

In this section, we will explore the world of gods, those claiming to be gods, and those claiming to have the truth. Our objective is to ask the real God to stand up and give us some reason to believe he is the real God.

This is such a massive topic. This is by no means an exhaustive study. Nevertheless, I want to ensure that facts are carefully explored with proper and fair use of resources. So, hang on, here we go. Let’s start by asking quantitative questions: How many gods exist worldwide? How many religions? How many groups claim to have the truth? This will give us the scope of all this.

Below is a ranked listing of the major religions and the estimated number of followers according to Encyclopedia Britannica.

I am including Atheists as a religion.  Like some religions listed below, they do not believe in any god but have a belief system and faith in their philosophy and worldview.   Like many churches, Atheists are Evangelical.  They often try to proselytize others through campaigns, books, meetings, merchandise, social media, etc.  They claim to know the truth!

The less biased researches regarding the number of Atheists vary, but several sources put the number at about 1. 4 million or 2% of the population worldwide.  It is very complex to identify an unbeliever or an Atheist, but even the higher numbers put them at a low percentage of the world’s population.   Based on these numbers, they would rank about #17 on the list below.

World Religions and Approximate Number of Followers:

Christianity: 2.1 billion

Islam: 1.3 billion

Hinduism: 900 million

Chinese traditional religion: 394 million

Buddhism: 376 million

African Traditional & Diasporic: 100 million

Sikhism: 23 million

Juche: 19 million

Spiritism: 15 million

Judaism: 14 million

Baha’i: 7 million

Jainism: 4.2 million

Shinto: 4 million

Cao Dai: 4 million

Zoroastrianism: 2.6 million

Tenrikyo: 2 million

Atheists: 1.4 million

Neo-Paganism: 1 million

Unitarian-Universalism: 800 thousand

Rastafarianism: 600 thousand

Scientology: 500 thousand

Within each religion are thousands of “denominations,” “factions,” or “sects.”

World Christian Encyclopedia estimates there are 33,000 Christian denominations alone! (World Christian Encyclopedia by Barrett, Kurian, Johnson Oxford Univ Press, 2nd edition, 2001).

In the Christian world, there is a split between the Roman Catholic church and those churches that “protested” against the tradition and misuse of the Bible and power.

The Atheists like to use these numbers as “proof” that “God is imaginary.”  The inference is that if God were real, there would be only one religion and one truth.  In a perfect world without any enemies, this might be so.    I must admit that all their claims about God and truth are difficult arguments to address if it weren’t for the Bible.

Other arguments by unbelievers start with the same type of reasoning. “If” God were real, why is there so much suffering in the world?  “If” God is real, why are there so many wars and death?   Again, the implication is that God would not allow any suffering or death at all, and again, this is a difficult question to answer. But there is an answer.

We have a couple of options to address such difficult questions.  We can put our heads in the sand and enjoy life as it comes to us and be placed in our graves after our time on earth.  Such is the philosophy and the battle cry of the Atheist, “Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die.” This attitude was that of the rich fool Jesus described in Luke 12: 13-21 parable.   

And I’ll sit back and say to myself, “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now, take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!”’ Luke 12 19

The more aggressive evangelical atheist tries to convince others that because mankind is in such an emotional need of a higher power, they create God in their own image.  Their fervent dedication to atheism is to destroy religion, which they see as harmful to society.  Indeed, they have a good case as you consider the many wars, death, and destruction caused by “religion.” Many believers are confused by the terror on this earth, but I am not sure embracing their philosophy would make the world a better place and stop war. To them, the concept of God is a crutch for the weak-minded.  It is about men controlling other men and wealth.  It appears to make sense.  Their formula for the existence of life and purpose is simple:

No one + nothing = everything (Evolution), which means:

No god + no purpose = no meaning to life (Enjoy while you can.)

After many years on this earth and many experiences, I have discovered that people with no answers can make themselves look intelligent by asking questions without easy answers.  

Example:  A young man doesn’t know why the country fell into a recession, so he asks, “Is this really a recession? Has the government manipulated the numbers for political reasons?”  These types of questions bring doubt and no real answers. It only adds to the confusion.

Just as Atheists don’t have an answer for the many religions, their question brings doubt about the reality of a Creator God, but no real answers or proof of the “no-God” theory.  They only have circumstantial evidence with their twist on its interpretation.  But the same is true for the believer.

Undoubtedly, there is an element of deception in religion and philosophy.  However, the atheist believes all religions are false and have deceived all men.  But what if one of these gods is the real God, and how would you know?  This is what we will explore.

A scientific approach to discovering the real God would be to seek evidence and the claims of those claiming to be gods.  Then, interview them and their followers to see if the real God is there.  But what criteria would you use to determine who is true and who is false?  What would be your basis for truth?  We need to consider this in our search.

There was a popular TV show back in the 60’s called To Tell the Truth.  Three contestants would be introduced, and all three would claim to be a particular person who had performed some unusual feat.  For example, the show would start with all three contestants saying, “Hello, my name is John Smith; I swam the English Channel with my hands tied behind my back.”

The celebrity panel of four would ask each contestant questions, observe their body type (typically, swimmers are athletic-looking), and evaluate their answers.  The contestants’ motivation was to deceive the four celebrities.  The more celebrities who guessed incorrectly meant more money for the contestants.  Of course, they had to lie or make up an answer sometimes.  However, the real John Smith could not lie.

When the celebrities were finished asking questions, they would vote on who they thought was the real John Smith based on the contestant’s answers to questions and their physical appearance.  Sometimes, it was unanimous; other times, the votes were split.  After all the questioning, the moment would come when the Emcee would ask,

“Would the real John Smith please stand up?”

Imagine the celebrities’ surprise when the best-lying contestants deceived them! This was a lot of fun, but it has a simple basis for answering our question about the real God.

First, if we want to know the truth about God, we must be willing to ask questions and seek answers rather than just guessing without some basis.  Many people don’t want to know the truth or have no motivation to pursue it.  They are comfortable with their head in the sand.

Is it possible that the real God wants us to know the truth?

In our search, are we willing to accept things that cut across our philosophy, set of beliefs, or worldview?  This is important.  Otherwise, we can mutate into close-mindedness or dogmatism.  We can feel we know everything and nothing new can be learned.  I know people like this in the church.  They know and understand the doctrines…maybe they could even recite the entire Bible, but the abstract thinking and the more profound appreciation for God are overlooked by knowledge.  As Paul said it this way,

“…always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”  2 Timothy 3: 7

A good place to start is to examine the claims of each god.  As mentioned above, a few religions have leaders who do not claim to be gods but instead promote a particular philosophy about living and life.  Philosophies are highly subjective.   Many are nice-sounding words, but examining and testing for truth would be challenging.

Let’s try to start with the claims of each god or philosophy. We would need to study the answers to our common questions and compare them.   Also, we would need to see if they have done anything that would demonstrate god-like qualities or evidence of truth.

We must be willing to submit to the idea that some liars in the group have a hidden agenda for their followers.  There is truth, and there is error.  We will talk a little about absolute truth later.

Perhaps only one is telling the truth.  But keep in mind the law of non-contradiction.  Two who contradict each other can’t both be right.  The claim that all are right and there are many paths to eternity cannot be correct because of the contradiction of the claims on how to get there.  Of course, the atheists take the simple way out and claim all are liars, a very lazy, snobbish way of thinking.

Many unbelievers would also ask, “Why is there a need to do such a complicated, time-consuming search?” Why doesn’t God just show up at the World Cup Soccer matches and say,

“Hello everyone!  I am the real God, and to prove it, I will predict the winner, the score, and other facts you can’t possibly know.”  Even this would not convince many because they would claim mind manipulation.  One of my friends pointed to the deception in the last days by the beast of Revelation 13.  So how does someone become convinced they are following the real God?

Let’s take the “To-Tell-The-Truth approach to finding the real God.  The question as to “why” a search is needed is again typical of the person who has no answers and is not willing to do honest research or keep an open mind.  So, they ask difficult questions without easy answers to bring doubt and get the seeker off course because they are trying to protect their philosophy.  So, for now, we will ignore those types of questions.

Why are people a member of a particular religion or denomination?

Could we assume that people in these different religions are of that faith because they studied and selected that religion due to their research or because they were born into it?

If you are born in the Middle East, you will likely be Islamic.  If you are born in the southern states of the US, you are likely to be a Protestant Christian. You will likely be the same if your parents were Baptist, Methodist, Church of Christ, etc.

It would be safe to assume that our religion and denomination are determined chiefly by our ancestry, location, and environment.  Family roots and race is the most potent reason for someone’s religion.  People say, “If it was good enough for grandma, it is good enough for me.”

Of our 21 “religions” listed above, how many claim to have a god?

Some religions, such as Hinduism and Shinto, have thousands of gods.  Some have no gods but are led by gurus, teachers, philosophers, or politicians, such as Buddhism, Sikhism, Juche, and Jainism.

Many are recent “religions” such as Spiritism, Baha’i, Cao Dai, Tenrikyo, Neo-Paganism, Rastafarianism, and Scientology, which just started in the last couple hundred years.

Some are very nationalistic, such as Zoroastrianism. They attempt to reason to a conclusion rather than search the evidence.

One last question:  What if there is an enemy to truth?  Would it be natural for that enemy to use deception to steer people away from the truth, especially if he knew there was a source of truth?

Let’s compare the top two religions in the world and their leaders.  We will examine the claims of Jesus, Muhammad, Jehovah, and Allah in the next chapter.

Aplogetics, Reasons to Believe

What Did The First Heart Look Like?

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If you could go back in time and observe the first heart, what would you put in your notes? Would it be in a prehistoric dinosaur or a monkey, or a human? In all three, it does the same thing.

When did it arrive? It couldn’t appear by itself or will itself into existence nor slowly build itself into its purpose.

The purpose of the heart is to pump blood thru veins and arteries to supply life-giving nutrients and oxygen from the lungs for the entire body. For the heart to survive, it needs electrical currents to make it do its job.

The heart would be useless and dead if all of the above and more were not present simultaneously. This applies to all life. This has been termed irreducible complexity. It makes sense.

This is why I know with absolute certainty there is a Creator God. To think all this happened by blind unthinking chance slowly over millions of years requires faith greater than a belief in an intelligent Creator.

Therefore, I lack faith in being an evolutionist, atheist, or evolutionist theist.

The first heart likely looked much like it does it now. It was in the body of Adam, Eve, and the animals God created the 1st week of planet Earth. All were fully functional the moment God spoke it.

“I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.” Psalm 139:14

Aplogetics, Inspiration

The New Definition of Tolerance and The Christian

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A predominant word used in today’s politics and legal circles is “tolerance.” Tolerance is defined as:

“the ability or willingness to tolerate something, in particular, the existence of opinions or behavior that one does not necessarily agree with.

What does it mean to”tolerate something?” It means to:

“allow the existence, occurrence, or practice of (something that one does not necessarily like or agree with) without interference.”

To tolerate different opinions should be in the heart and mind of every American who understands that this country arose from the ashes of religious and civil intolerance in Europe.  The driving desire of the settlers of America was to create a nation of tolerance and acceptance because of their experience with intolerance and persecution in the “old country.”

During the Reformation era, as the Bible became more and more the source of faith for individual believers, it conflicted with the teachings of the powerful church in Europe, and persecution soon followed. The followers of Jesus and the Bible during these tough times longed for the freedom of conscience and to worship without being claimed a heretic or facing death.   But, the ruling class and the powerful Roman Catholic church forbid any thoughts different than its own dogmas and traditions.  Throughout its history, the papacy leveraged the power of the state to enforce its will upon the masses.  Thus, a forbidden marriage of the church and the political power of the state combined to enforce its religious decrees.

Millions died who were not “tolerated” by the church/state.  These people were not “allowed to exist” because of their Biblical views.  The history of persecution and death from the papacy over the controversy of who should be the final source of truth (Jesus and the Bible or the Pope and its commentary called the Catechism) is the classic definition of intolerance using the power of the state.  Millions of dissenters from the church were destroyed because the Pope did not want them to exist.

“From the birth of Popery in 606 AD to the present time, it is estimated by careful and credible historians that more than fifty million of the human family have been slaughtered for the crime of heresy by popish persecutors, an average of more than forty thousand religious murders for every year of the existence of popery.”

— “History of Romanism,” pp. 541, 542. New York: 1871.

The founders of America wanted a nation without a pope or a king.  Why?  Because they had come to learn the importance and rights of  all to have views and to be allowed to exist, particularly Christian Biblical views.  

Of course, to have a nation like this, the Christians would have to live by their own words and “tolerate” other worldviews.

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Does Disagreement With Someone’s Religion or World View Necessarily Mean They are Intolerant?

If we understand the word “intolerant” and the history of “intolerance,” we know the answer to this question to be “No.” The deciding factor in turning the answer into a “Yes” are the actions taken by those with the power to force the dissenter to either not exist or to persecute them in some way.

The Christian who believes that Jesus is the only truth and does not accept a different view is not intolerant in their beliefs any more than the Muslim who feels the same way about Mohammed, but it becomes intolerant when one of the groups persecutes the other.

The apostle Paul expressed the concept of “tolerance” in the great love chapter of 1 Corinthians 13 when he said,

“Love suffers long and is kind….endures all things.”

1 Corinthians 13: 4,7

A follower of Christ must be tolerant and loving even though they are compelled to make known the truth as found in Christ.

“♦…today a new definition of tolerance is systematically being foisted upon the minds of all people.  For example, Thomas A Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity states, ‘The definition of new tolerance is that every individual’s beliefs, lifestyle, and perception of truth claims are equal…Your beliefs and my beliefs are equal, and all truth is relative.”

So the modern, historically uninformed college student is encouraged to erase and rewrite “bad history” hope  to adopt an exaggerated form of tolerance where all philosophies and world views are equal. I can’t help but think of the words of a classic rock song,

“Nobody’s right if everybody’s wrong.”-Buffalo Springfield, For What It’s Worth.”

In the context of an equal and relative truth, these lyrics could also read,

Nobody’s wrong if everybody’s right.

But, here is the immediate danger in this new definition of tolerance….the real truth becomes lost or eliminated if we discern truth by our feelings and whatever we desire it to be.  Under this thinking of relative truth, everybody is right!

♦The misconception about relative truth assumes that truth is inclusive, that it gathers under its wings claims that oppose each other. The fact, however, is that all truth is exclusive---at least to some degree---for it must exclude as false that which is not true.

For instance, it is true that Washington D.C. is the capital city of the United State of America. This means that no other city in the United States is that country's capital. In fact, no other city on planet Earth or anywhere in the universe can lay legitimate claim to being the capital city of the United States. One city and one only fits the bill and that's Washington D.C.

Simply because just one city is the United States' capital does not mean that the people who affirm this truth are therefore intolerant.  They may like scores of other cities and even live in different cities themselves.  They may even live in different countries and prefer their country to America.  Accepting the exclusive truth claim about Washington D.C. does not make a person tolerant or intolerant---it simply makes him or her correct about what the capital city of the United States is.

The same is true about Christianity.  If the claims of the Christian faith are true---and many people accept them as true---these people are no more intolerant for their belief than those people who accept Washington D.C. as the United States capital. They are either correct or mistaken about how God has revealed Himself in the world.

The main problem with the all-inclusive view of truth is that it also stifles the follower of this philosophy from seeking the truth. The Christian will tell you that the source of truth is found in God’s word and in the life of Jesus.  To test this or any other claimant of truth, must have a starting place.  That origin of entry for truth must be historical with eyewitness accounts and proof that the truth works on a practical plain.

For more information the study of different philosophical claims of different religions, click here: Will the Real God Please Stand Up?-An Overview

Jesus claimed,

I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

John 14:6

He made many other claims. He clearly stated  that the Tanakh (Old Testament) was about Him:

You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.

John 5:39

He explained to the uninformed and confused and misunderstanding disciples how the Tanakh “testified of Him.”

Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.” And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.

Luke 24: 44, 45

But many people are afraid to “Search the Scripture” to see if what He claims is true or not.  Why?  The only reason can be FEAR.

Fear of being wrong. Because of pride, people resist the admission of having the wrong idea, philosophy, or worldview.

Fear of Change or Lifestyle.  They reason their life won’t be as fun and enjoyable.

Fear of Accountability.  Things they practice may have consequences.

Fear of Losing Friends.  Accepting the truth may push away friends and family.

It was these types of fears and misconceptions about tolerance that kept the people of Noah’s time from getting on the boat and saving their lives.  In the end, failing to pursue truth regardless of what one might think to be truth will keep many from eternal life as promised by God and Jesus Christ.

Nothing has changed since the days of Noah.  People continue to avoid the pursuit of truth because of fear.

And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will also be in the days of the Son of Man:

Luke 17:6

To conclude this short discussion on tolerance and its relationship to truth, an appropriate story (from the book Great Controversy) about the pursuit of truth comes from a man called Gaussen, who was influenced by the prevailing truth of the day (18th and 19th century) i.e., rationalism.  It is defined as:

A belief or theory that opinions and actions should be based on reason and knowledge rather than on religious belief or emotional response.

But, as he studied Jesus and the prophecies…his life changed.  He wanted to tell the adults in his part of the world about what he discovered in the Bible but found them resistant, so he taught the children to see if they could understand the information.  The results were unexpected.

Many today claim to be tolerant and have an open mind.  There is no human with a mind more open than a child.  Jesus knew this when he said,

“Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 18:3

♦As he (Gaussen) pursued his investigation of the prophecies, he arrived at the belief that the coming of the Lord was at hand.  Impressed with the solemnity and importance of this great truth, he desired to bring it before the people, but the popular belief that the prophecies of Daniel are mysteries and cannot be understood was a serious obstacle in his way.  He finally determined—as Farel—had done before him in evangelizing Geneva—to begin with the children, through whom he hoped to interest the parents.

“I desire this to be understood,” he afterward said, speaking of his object in this undertaking.  “it is not because of its small importance, but on the contrary because of its great value, that I wished to present it in this familiar form, and that I addressed it to the children. I desired to be heard, and I feared that I would not be if I addressed myself to the grown people first.”  “I determined, therefore, to go to the youngest; I gather an audience of children; if the group enlarges, if it is seen that they listen, are pleased, interested, that they understand and explain the subject, I am sure to have a second circle soon, and in their turn, grown people will see that it is worth their while to sit down and study.  When this is done, the cause is gained,” I. Gaussen, Daniel The Prophet, vol. 2, Preface

The effort was successful.  As he addressed the children, older persons came to listen.  The galleries of his church were filled with attentive hearers. Among them were men of rank and learning and strangers and foreigners visiting Geneva, and thus the message was carried to other parts.

The understanding of God’s word is simple— provided the person is willing to pursue the truth no matter where it leads and with an open mind free of preconceived ideas.  Fear will be replaced with joy and confidence.  But a person will never know unless they start…they will never receive from God if they desire their own pleasures.

You ask and do not receive because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.

James 4:3

The new definition of tolerance (all ideas are equal and true and, therefore, should be accepted) is false, and it is dangerous.    To believe the truth found in God’s word and the exclusive claims of Christianity is not intolerance.   A true follower of Christ will demonstrate acceptance of the person in love but reject what they know to be false and detrimental to that person.  They will encourage the pursuit of truth out of love and no other reason.

In modern America, the country of religious freedom, it is the founders of tolerance (Followers of Jesus) who are now being forced through legal actions to accept the beliefs of people they know to be in error.  The courts want to control the beliefs of Christians regarding sex and their worldview. This is persecution. No other religion is being sued and harassed, as are Christians.  So, I end with this question.  Who are the people who are intolerant?  Who hates those who don’t accept their beliefs? Who desires for the other group to not exist?

Blessed are you when men hate you, And when they exclude you, And revile you, and cast out your name as evil, For the Son of Man’s sake.

Luke 6:22

The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil

John 7:7

♦The New Evidence That Demands a Verdict, Josh McDowell

Aplogetics, Reasons to Believe

Common Misconceptions About Christianity-BLIND FAITH

“Grow up!  It is silly to believe in the man-in-the-sky  stuff!”

“Your belief is based on myths, the human need for comfort, and blind faith.”

“There is no evidence for your faith.”

How many times have Christians heard this?  In this series, we are going to explore the misconceptions associated with Christianity and the reasons and evidence for belief in Jesus Christ.

I have learned over the 40 years, as a believer in Jesus, that people who make derogatory statements like the ones above are simply uninformed. But even if they are informed, it does not guarantee an acceptance of the truth about Jesus and the word of God.

Benjamin Warfield from Princeton University put it this way,

“We are not absurdly arguing that *Apologetics has in itself the power to make a man a Christian or to conquer the world to Christ. Only the Spirit of Life can communicate life to a dead soul….But we are arguing that faith is, in all its exercises alike, a form of conviction, and is, therefore, necessarily grounded in evidence.”

*Note: Apologetics (in the Greek language apología) is not about "aplogizing" in the modern sense of the word, but rather a reasoned defending the faith.

As Christians, we are directed by Peter (one who was an eyewitness to the life of Christ) to:

….always be ready to give a defense (apología) to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.

1 Peter 3:15

We are also told by Paul, another eyewitness and major player in the growth of Christianity, that

 faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Hebrews 11:1

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Unprepared for the world’s attack.

Herein is the problem with the great loss of faith by our young children who enter college and face mature men and women armed with questions and doubts determined to convert their minds into their own agnostic/atheist beliefs.

We raise our young children in almost sterile environments complete with band memberships, Christian socials, and fun things, which are OK.  At night we tell them nice Bible bedtime stories, also good,  but we don’t give them the evidence, substance,  nor the reasons for their faith in Jesus.  Many are ignorant of the Bible itself and its faith-giving prophecies.  Perhaps even more crippling is the absence of a personal experience with and dedication to Jesus.

Even us adults may find ourselves in a state of doubt and an anemic  Christian experience because our faith is not based on facts, but rather feelings and family tradition.

Faith is not blind, it has substance and evidence. I agree with those who say, “my heart cannot rejoice in what my mind rejects.” God invites us to think and use our minds, not just our heart (feelings)

Jesus quoted from the Old Testament when he said,

“…you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. 

Mark 12:30

The Christian experience includes the mind (reasoning) and not just the emotion.  God asks us to “reason together” with him (Isaiah 1:18). Reasoning involves communication and this communication is performed through prayer and the opening of the heart to what He has already revealed to us in scripture. But, it also involves having “facts” for faith in Jesus.

The order of the three “f’s” in Christianity must occur in this order: Facts, Faith, Feeling.  The facts about Jesus give you reasons for your faith (trust in Jesus), and all this give you the peace and all the feelings that come from the promises of God’s word.

An experience that starts and based only on feelings is destined to wither under the heat of life’s events.  Faith cannot be mustered up by mental exercises. The faith and feelings will come only by the facts.  This is what Paul stressed when he said,

 So then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.

Romans 10:17

As one evangelist, I knew, said,

“Little time in God’s word equals little faith, but much time in God’s word equals much faith.”

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Not Blind Faith

When Jesus Christ and the apostles called upon a person to exercise faith, it was not a ‘blind faith” but rather an “intelligent faith.”  The apostle Paul said,

I know whom I have believed”

2 Timothy 1:12

Jesus said,

You shall know (not ignore) the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

John 8:32

For me personally and many like me, I could not exercise blind faith about Jesus, I needed substance and evidence. I found it in three sources:  1.)  The prophecies about Jesus, 2.) History, and 3.) Eyewitness accounts.

“*The Christian faith is an objective faith; therefore, it must have an object. The Christian concept of ‘saving’ faith is a faith that establishes one’s relationship with Jesus Christ (the object), and is diametrically opposed to the average ‘philosophical’ use of the term faith in the classroom today.”

“Faith in the Christian sense goes beyond reason but not against it” (Paul Little)

For the Christian, historical facts are critical.  Paul drives home this point when he described the historical fact of the resurrection:

“And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty…And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty.”

1 Corinthians 15: 14, 17

The Stories of the  Bible Are Not Myths

“Critics sometimes charge, ‘Events such as the virgin birth, the resurrection and ascension, Jesus’ turning water into wine and walking on water didn’t really happen. They were inserted to elevate Jesus to the status of a divine figure, though, if he lived at all, he was no more than a mere mortal.” “A professor of a world literature class to which I spoke asked the question, ‘What do you think of Greek mythology?’ I answered with another question, ‘Do you mean, were the events of the life of Jesus, the resurrection, virgin birth, etc., just myth?’ He answered ‘Yes.’ I replied that there is an obvious difference between the events recorded about Christ in the Bible and the stories conveyed in Greek mythology that bear a vague similarity. The similar stories , such as resurrections, and others, of Greek mythology were not applied to real flesh-and-blood individuals, but instead to non-historical, fictional, mythological characters However, when it comes to Christianity, these events are attached to the historic Jesus of Nazareth who the New Testament writers knew personally, the professor replied, ‘Your’re right, I never realized that before.”

The Bible Contains Eyewitnesses Unlike Mythology or the Writings of Other Religious Works

Peter was an eyewitness who refutes the events as fables:

For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty.

2 Peter 1:16

John saw and touched Jesus:

 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life— the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested (made known) to us—  that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.

1 John 1: 1-3

Luke, an educated physician put together a narrative from a “perfect understanding” of the events.

Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled  among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus,

Luke 1:1-3

Luke followed it up with “infallible proofs” as Jesus was seen by many for “forty days” after the cross.

The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,  until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.

Acts 1: 1-3

Paul saw Jesus after 500 people saw him “at once” ( a congregation of people), then James and all the apostles saw Him.

After that, He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that, He was seen by James, then by all the apostles.  Then last of all, He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.

1 Corinthians 15: 6-8

John was an eyewitness to Jesus’ miracles and signs, most were not even written down! 

And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name….And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.

John 20: 30-31, 21:25

Luke states they were all witnesses even His death, resurrection, and having meals with Him afterward.

And we are witnesses of all things which He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they[ killed by hanging on a tree. Him God raised up on the third day, and showed Him openly,  not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before by God, even to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. And He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead.

Acts 10: 39-42

Peter witness not only His sufferings but also looked forward to the second glorious return as taught by Jesus before he died!

The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed:

1 Peter 1:5

His followers listened and watched as Jesus ascended to heaven as promised.

Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.

Acts 1:9

Peter discloses to hecklers to the Pentecost that they also saw and know the actions and events of Jesus life

“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know—

Acts 2:22

After Festus called Paul mad, Paul discloses that all that Jesus did was in the open and King Agrippa must have known about it. Further, Paul appealed to King Agrippa’s knowledge of the prophets and the fulfillment of their words in Jesus.

Now as he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, you are beside yourself! Much learning is driving you mad!”

 But he said, “I am not mad, most noble Festus, but speak the words of truth and reason.  For the king, before whom I also speak freely, knows these things; for I am convinced that none of these things escapes his attention since this thing was not done in a corner. King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you do believe.”

28 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You almost persuade me to become a Christian.”

Acts 26: 24-28

Conclusion

The Christian beliefs are not based on blind faith nor myths and fables. They are based on substance and evidence. Like all historical characters, there were eyewitnesses.  Faith is based on substance and evidence, but even the evidence is not enough to convert a person.  That person will only be convinced and converted if they yield to the encouraging the work of God’s Spirit which brings conviction about sin and its ultimate results.  Once the person goes “all-in” with Jesus, they will discover a life of peace, real joy, and hope in the coming events proclaimed by Jesus and God’s word.

Next time we will continue our study on misconceptions about Christianity.

*Much thanks to Josh McDowell and his book The New Evidence That Demands A Verdict. Volume I and II