I have now met a few people who have:
- been persuaded that Christianity is good news;
- heard most of the evidential arguments for why we can trust the bible and why Christianity is coherent;
- have prayed to God that they he would convince them he is real; and
- still don't think that they are sure enough to commit their lives to Jesus.
So, my wise and learned readers, how do you help such people?
Perhaps there is no hard and fast advice. For some they may in reality be baulking at the cost, and need to be confronted with that. For others they may believe but be seeking an unreasonable level of certainty, and just need to be encouraged to live out the Christian life.... Perhaps there are other categories as well. In fact there are probably as many categories as there are people... But do you folks have any guidance?
Yes, I've heard this when people have talked about their own need for a 'leap of faith'.
ReplyDeleteI've often just showed them at that point that, knowing what they know, it is a bigger 'leap' to remain in unbelief.
I also think it's helpful to frame the question where Jesus is a person, not a theory. To ask something like, "Do you believe that Jesus can help you if you place trust in him?" The gospel is, after all, about a person not a theory.
With some people I've taken them to 2 Cor 4:1-6 and shown them that they need a miracle, and told them to go away and pray that God will do that miracle in them, so that they see Jesus as supremely treasurable.
Thanks Peter, very helpful. I appreciate the opportunity to pick your brains.
ReplyDeleteHow exactly do you show them that it "is a bigger 'leap' to remain in unbelief"? If for someone it is simply too incredible that Jesus performed miracles, that he is God become man etc, how do you show that it is more incredible that he didn't?
My default would be to challenge whether their worldview would ever permit Jesus to be God and then challenge them to ensure their worldview at least has space for it to be true, and then re-examine the evidence.... but is that the most helpful approach?
Totally agree with bringing it back to personal relationship with Jesus.
About 2 Cor 4:1-6. In my experience people who have been told about of their need to have their eyes opened and are told they should pray about it, tend to expect some kind of epiphany or dramatic rending of heaven, and then when it doesn't come they are left very disappointed and disillusioned. In the bible we are told to pray that sort of prayer for ourselves as Christians, but is it the sort of prayer we should suggest non-Christians pray?... do you need to believe before it can make any sense? I don't know. I've told people to do that sort of thing several times. I don't think I've ever seen it be helpful, and I'm beginning to have my doubts!
I don't know. I feel kinda powerless with people like this, and I'm always driven to prayer in desperation. I do think that is the most important thing to do, because it is so clearly only God that opens blind eyes... but still struggling to know what can be said.
You've given me plenty to think over and get going with. But please come back if you've got any further thoughts.
Glen has reminded me of one thing that I always have trouble remembering which is that we don't have all the answers but we know who does. Connects with your second point.
ReplyDeleteI'm always suspicious when someone says they understand the good news but they don't want it. When I wasn't a Christian I thought I understood the gospel. I really didn't. I remember talking to a big name Christian (everyone's heard of him) and he said 'You know the gospel, you just need to get on and live it now.' I remember translating that in my head to 'You need to stop doing X, Y, and Z - your eternity depends on it'. Failure to stop X, Y and Z became proof of my total inability to be a Christian. It was only years later that I actually began to understand the *gospel*.
ReplyDeleteSo I'm always dubious when someone says they know the gospel. Most *Christians* I know don't know the gospel (slight exaggeration).
And I like what Peter has said about - offering the *Person* of Jesus (not a 'theory'). We're reluctant to call a person to Christ (unless it's week 7 of Christianity Explored and then it's part of the accepted *process*). I think we probably all need to be summoning people to Christ more. Not only because sinners will respond by the power of the Spirit, but also because the very act of summoning a person to Christ shows the nature of the gospel offer. Here are arms open wide for - will you be reconciled or not?
Something like - "Bob, Christ has died and risen again that you might no longer live for yourself but for Him who died for you - His offer stands today to know Him, to be known by Him, to walk with Him through life and into eternity. You don't need all your questions answered in advance, He'll answer them as you go along together. But will you trust Him now."
In this way you frame Bob's reticence to 'close with Christ' in terms of a *trust* issue. And that then becomes the thing you need to work on - "What more does Christ need to do to prove that He's trustworthy."
It makes it clear that Bob's not just rejecting the theory of Christianity, He is rejecting the arms-wide offer of Christ. That's a serious thing, but at least we all know where we stand.
Hmmm... good challenge Glen. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteTo probe a little deeper though, are you saying that if someone says that they like 'Christianity' but have trouble believing it, you would say you need to know the gospel then you'd believe it? Or if someone says I like 'Jesus' but I'm not sure that he did all this stuff and that we have accurate knowledge of what he did, would you say Jesus is waiting for you why don't you go to him?
I'm not quite sure I understand how you would respond and engage with such a person. I understand what you would say, but I'm not sure how you would do that in a way which is listening to them and reacting to them.
If Bob were to respond: 'I would trust him if I knew he existed' would you simply call him to trust Jesus anyway even with that uncertainty? Perhaps on reflection that is the best thing. But then he would respond (and I know a person who has said this many times): 'that presumes I can choose to believe something, and that I'm choosing not to. That's (i) offensive because I don't think I'm doing that; and (ii) asking me to either be a hypocrite or commit intellectual suicide'.
Still I suppose that we do believe that you can choose to believe all sorts of things, and that the only reason people don't believe is their sin, and that as Christ is the starting point of all truth then there is no way that God can be reached unless he is the starting point. Perhaps we have to admit the impasse and admit that nothing further can be said, and pray.
I suppose that is what I've done in the past. Perhaps I'm seeking something that cannot be found. I have to allow the antithesis to stand once you get to this point with anyone.
I'm rambling, but at least you know you've given me something to think about. And who knows, you may even be able to decipher my late night musings and make some sense of it.