How To Give An Answer For The Hope In You

The objections we hear so often against the Gospel are not so much against the Gospel itself, but against God or against religion.  I recently asked some people of objections they have heard against the Gospel.  Here were some responses.

The Bible is full of tales. I believe in God, but I don’t think we have to follow some book. As long as I am a good person, that’s all God cares about.

I have my own religion; its good enough for me.

There’s a time for everything so nothing wrong in what I’m doing.

My country is highly religious.  Those who don’t believe in God always carry the “if God exist why all these bad things happening” and “how can you believe a book like that?”

In our evangelism it is not about winning arguments, it is about winning hearts.  Often you may win the battle, but you will lose the heart.  We don’t need to fight with them since most of these people have never heard the Gospel.  Typically, to start they will not be in a place to actually hear what you are saying, so slow them down and ask them a question.  That question will be different based upon who you are speaking with.

So follow up with a question:  “What is the Gospel of Jesus?”  In all likelihood they will clam up without any answer.  Then begin to explain to them his death for our sins and why he needed to die for us and how this was God’s love expressed to us.  Ask them, “Did anyone love you so much that they laid down their life for you?  No. How about your enemy; did they?  We were enemies of Jesus and he died for us anyway.”

 Explain how he was raised from the dead, and this shows that we can have new life and how that the Holy Spirit, God himself, will come to live inside of us, freeing us and giving us peace and joy.  The thought here is this:  Get them to the point of listening.

If they are atheists, they will likely come to you and claim many mistakes in the Bible or that because of all the evil how can you believe in God.  The point is not to answer them directly.  It is to win their heart.  So engaging in a verbal brawl with them will likely just inflame the situation.  I suggest that you stop the atheist and ask him or her a question.  The question is to show them the incongruity of their beliefs.  Ask him/her, “Why do you wear clothes?”

He/she may ask you a question, “Why?”  Answer, “Within your atheistic worldview ,why do you wear clothes?”  Perhaps he will say, “Because it’s cold.”  You can respond, “The reason I ask this is that if humans are merely animals there is no need for you to wear clothing.

“Since you don’t have a good answer, I will tell you why you wear clothes.  It is because in the beginning a literal Adam and Eve sinned before God and felt shame and covered their nakedness.  So, the fact that you wear clothes is a very Christian thing..“

Next question to the atheist, “Are you married?”

“Yes.”

“Why are you married?”

“Because I love my spouse.”

“Well, that’s strange because in evolutionary atheism you believe that the highest value is to pass on your genes.  Therefore, as a man, your highest aim is to have a relationship with as many women as possible to pass on your genetics.  The fact is you are living like you’re a Christian, not an atheist.”

Then ask them, “Do you know what the Gospel is?”

There is also this concept that because of murder, because of genocide and death, there cannot be a God that exists.  If you can get the person to be less emotional about this situation (because often it is very personal) then you can ask them a question.

“What is evil?”

They will likely give a list of bad things that happen to people in life.

“Who made the concept of evil?”

“If there is no God, there is no ultimate Law Giver. And if there is really no ultimate Law Giver, then there can be no such thing as evil.  Everything that happens is merely just an event.  It is not evil; it is not good.  This is just our concept that it is evil.  Truly, in atheism you have no grounds to call something evil.  However, as a Christian, I do believe the things you have mentioned are evil because God has said they are evil.  God has defined in our hearts what is good and what is bad.  They are all a result of the choices of mankind.  We chose to do evil. God did not force evil upon us or make evil happen.  We chose this.”

Another objection is that all paths lead to God.  Ask them how so?  They will likely say something about love and goodness.  Let them know that what they are seeing is something that God created in man.  They are seeing the unity of humanity in the inner drive for love and goodness beyond all our fallen state.  However, all paths do not lead to God.  Each one claims to be true and each one has claims that are mutually exclusive.

Islam claims Mohammed is the final prophet, and Christianity claims he is not a true prophet. Christianity claims Jesus is the only path to God.  Buddhism is a reaction against Hinduism. Hinduism does not believe in original sin and believes in millions of deities.  Then take the chance to show the uniqueness of the claims of Jesus.  Jesus did not give man a list of do’s and don’ts, and he didn’t say walk in this path.  He said I am the Path.  And he answers to that inner longing that every human being has for relationship.  We desire a relationship, and Jesus died to bring us into relationship with God in a very personal way.  Also, in other religions, they tell us that this is what you must do to go to heaven, and Jesus said, “Come to me because I have already done it for you.  Just believe in me and love me.”  Relationship. Jesus answers the deepest longings of the human heart.

The basic idea is not to fight with them but to engage them.  Engage them in a conversation on a common level, the level of respect, honor, and love.  Show them compassion, show them honor, treat them with dignity and care.  We want to clarify to them what the Gospel is.  Then once they know what it actually is, and see a different kind of love in our hearts, then they can make a real decision about the claims of Jesus of Nazareth.