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Questions and Objections Part 3
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Christianity is boring.
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Then you
haven't experienced it. No one who is a Christian will ever say that
it is boring.
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How do you
know? Have you tried it? There are millions of Christians who have a
lot of fun being Christian. We just do it with a lot less sin, and
therefore, a lot less problems. Maybe its only your problems that keep
you from getting bored.
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What do
you think we do all day, sit around fireplaces and read Bibles? We
ski, swim, play sports, read, have friends and problems like anybody
else. Christianity is not boring. It is an adventure.
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I am
an atheist. I don't believe in God.
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An atheist
is defined in two senses: Someone who says he believes there is
no God and someone who simply lacks belief in God. An atheist
cannot say he knows there is no God because he would
have to know all things in order to know if there is or isn't a
God. If he says he believes there is no God ask him why he
believes that way and begin there. If he says he lacks belief in
God, then ask what he does believe in and start
there. I always get around to the question of, "How did we get
here?" Since creation and evolution are the only options, I have
something further to work with.
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Evolution has a lot of problems with it. It seems to me that
it takes a lot of faith to believe that you developed out of ocean
slime, simply by chance. At least as a Christian I have the evidence
of the resurrection of Christ from eye witnesses as recorded by them
in the gospels. Evolution or not, Jesus rose from the dead, said He
was God, and forgave sins. I'll put my faith in Him instead of
evolution.
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An
agnostic says he doesn't know if there is or isn't a God. (Usually
after saying this I challenge them to explain the prophecies of the
Old Testament fulfilled in the New. I state how the Bible is unique
that way and that only God can make prophecies that are 100% accurate.
Then I ask him to explain how that could be done if there is no
God.)
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If there
is no God as you say, then in the end I lose nothing. But if there is
a God like I say, in the end you lose everything.
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Why don't
you believe in God? Is there any reason for you to intelligently
reject His existence? Or, do you simply desire not to believe in
Him?
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The Bible
doesn't attempt to prove that God exists. It simply speaks as though
He does. Maybe I can't prove to you there is a God, but I can
introduce Him to you through His Son Jesus Christ and you can judge
for yourself if the Words of Christ in the Bible convince you of His
existence.
(Note: We exist.
How did we get here? An atheist's only option would be to say
evolution. If you study evolution, by reading Christian books that
reveal and document its many serious problems, then you will be able
to weaken the atheist's belief in it. The logic is simple: If
evolution and creation are the only options, to remove one is to
support the other. Therefore, learn as much as you can about
evolution. Your witness will be greatly
strengthened. However, evolution does not
explain the origin of life, only its development. Discussions on
origins of life are interesting in
themselves.)
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I am
trying to be a Christian.
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You become
a Christian by simply putting your trust in Jesus and His sacrifice
for you on the cross. There is no trying involved. If you trust Jesus,
if you ask Him to forgive you of your sins and be your Savior, then
you are a Christian. It is living like a Christian
after you've become one that is difficult.
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If you
believe that in order to become a Christian you must be good, then you
misunderstand or don't have a good understanding of salvation. A
Christian is a Christian by the gift of God (Rom.
6:23), not the work of man (Eph.
2:8-9). There is nothing you can do to earn
salvation or keep salvation. It is simply something God freely gives
you. If you want it, confess your sins, repent, turn to God, and trust
Jesus as your only Savior. Then, and only then, will you become a
Christian.
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I am
already religious.
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Who said
God wants you to be religious? He wants a relationship with you.
Religion is man's attempt to reach God. Christianity is God reaching
man. 1
Cor. 1:9 says that God wants you to have
fellowship with Jesus. He is talking about a relationship, someone you
can talk to. He doesn't want to weigh you down with a bunch of do's
and don't's. He wants to extend a loving hand to you and help you live
a good clean life. But that cannot be done until the real problem in
you is done away with, and that is sin. Sin separates you from God
(Isaiah
59:2). If you want salvation instead of
"religion," then go to Jesus. Seek Him. He will never let you
down.
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I see.
Where do you attend church?
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I
don't need God.
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If you say
you don't need Him, then you believe He exists. If you do, why would
you say you don't need Him? Isn't He the One who determines your
destiny? Doesn't He have the authority and power to do as He pleases
and to send you to heaven or hell? It is foolish to say you don't need
the One who is your Creator, who loves you and has provided the way
for forgiveness of sin. You need God because only He can cleanse you
from your sins.
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What do
you need? Are you really doing that well without God? Are you happy
with the way things are in your life? If you aren't, then you need
Jesus. And even if you are happy, you still need Him, because you
can't take what makes you happy with you when you die.
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I
have things I need to do before I become a Christian.
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Like what?
Why do you need to do these things before you come to God? Are they
bad things or good? If they are bad, then you shouldn't do them. If
they are good, why can't you become a Christian and then do
them?
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Nothing
you can do could be more important than your relationship with God. To
put Him off is unwise. What if you die before you become a Christian?
Then you would be eternally without hope.
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Your
statement implies you believe following God will mean you won't be
able to do the things you want to do. If that is true, then that means
the things you intend to do would displease God? Are you saying you
prefer to do something God wouldn't want you to do? If that is so, you
are willfully sinning against God and putting yourself in a dangerous
situation. That is all the more reason you need His
forgiveness.
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I
prefer to remain open minded.
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Open
mindedness means looking at everything honestly. Are you willing to do
that with Christianity? Do you want to see what Jesus has said and
learn about what He can offer you?
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If you say
you are going to remain open minded and not accept Christianity, then
in reality you are being very closed minded. Maybe Christianity is
true. Your open-mindedness could keep you from discovering it.
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I
already believe in God.
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Are you
living your life as if that were true? Does your belief in God affect
the way you live or do you still do entirely as you please?
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If you say
you believe in God, then how do you know what He wants for you? Are
you in contact with Him? Do you just trust whatever you feel is
right?
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The Bible
says the Devil believes in God (James
2:19) and he is lost. If all you do is simply
believe that God exists, then you are no better off than he is. It is
not intellectual acknowledgment of God's existence that God wants, but
your accepting the sacrifice Jesus made on behalf of sinners that
pleases God. Simply believing is not enough. You must choose to follow
Him.
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It is
not that you believe; it is who you
put your faith in. Who is this God you believe in? Is He the Christian
one? Is he Allah? Is he from another planet? Is he whatever you feel
is right? Is he loving? Believing in God is fine unless your god is
false. The important thing is that you must believe in the true God,
not a false one, and the true one is found in the Bible.
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I'll
choose God later.
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If you
won't choose Him now, what makes you think you'll choose Him later?
The longer you go without God, the harder it will be for you to come
to Him. The longer you sin, the harder your heart will become and the
further from God you will be (Heb.
3:13). To wait is to invite damnation. God
calls you to repent from sin now, not later. Which will you
choose?
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If you say
you will choose Him later, do you admit then that you need Him now? If
so, then why do you wait? You might die soon and then it would be too
late.
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There are too many hypocrites in the church.
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Church is
a good place for hypocrites, as well as liars and thieves. It is there
where they will be exposed to the Word of God and learn that hypocrisy
is wrong. For you to judge those in the church is to condemn yourself,
because we are all hypocrites in one form or another. Your recognition
and condemnation of it tells me you know it is wrong. Is it hypocrisy
to point a finger at the church full of sinners when you yourself are
one as well?
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It has
been said that you must be smaller than the thing you hide behind. Are
you hiding behind the hypocrisy of others to keep yourself out of
church? You must realize that you are responsible for yourself and God
won't ask others about you on judgment day. He will come to you and
ask you to give an account for your life. The hypocrites in the church
will also stand before God, with or without you there.
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People
don't counterfeit pennies. Why do you think there are hypocrites?
Because Christianity is valuable.
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Why
are we here? Or, Why did God make us?
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God made
us so we could glorify Him and have fellowship with Him (1 John
1:1-3). He made Adam and Eve and put them in
the garden and then He walked in fellowship with them. He gave them
the greatest thing they could have, His love and presence. After they
sinned, God said, "Adam, where are you?" God sought Adam. In
Exodus
25:8 God said to Moses while Israel was in the
wilderness, "And let them construct a sanctuary for Me, that I may
dwell among them." In the New Testament in John
1:14 it says, "And the Word became flesh
and dwelt (tabernacled) among us..."(1) God seeks our presence. He wants to have fellowship
with us. He made us to give us His love and enjoy His presence. But,
man sinned and separated Himself from God. That is why Christ died for
sins, that our fellowship with God would be
restored.
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What
about those who have never heard the Gospel?
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That is a
good question. The Bible says that God is a just God. We know that
whatever He does is right. When it comes to those who have never heard
the Gospel, He will do what is right, whatever that is. But as for
you, you have heard the gospel and He will judge you according to how
you respond. He is calling you to repentance, to turn from sin and
come to Him.
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In
Romans
2:11-16 it speaks about those who have never
heard the Law of God and how they will be judged according to the law
that is written in their hearts. The Law written in their hearts is
the knowledge of right and wrong. Perhaps God's judgment of those
without a proper knowledge of Him is included there where it says that
they will be judged according to their own consciences that "bear
witness, and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending
them." All I know is that God will do what is right and the only
way to have your sins forgiven is through Jesus.
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Jesus is only one of many great men of
history.
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Granted,
Jesus was a great man of history. That is a fact. But, He is different
from all the other great men of history. How many great men of history
rose from the dead, calmed a sea, walked on water, raised others from
the dead, healed sickness, and forgave sins? There aren't any others
that I know of. Do you know of any? These things make Him more than
great. They make Him special and unique.
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You are
right, Jesus was a great man. But let me ask you. If He were great,
would He lie? Of course not. If He were great, would He be insane? No.
You see, Jesus said He was God (John
1:1,14; 10:30-33; 20:28; Col.
2:9; Phil.
2:5-8; Heb.
1:8). If He were lying, we shouldn't listen to
Him and we couldn't call Him great. If He were insane then we
shouldn't listen to Him and again we couldn't call Him great. If He is
great, then He must be telling the truth. And He was great,
right?
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John
1:1 says, "In the beginning was the Word
and the Word was with God and the Word was God." Verse
14 says, "and the Word became flesh..." The Word is
Jesus. This means that Jesus is God in flesh. If this is
so, then He cannot be merely "a great man of history." He would
be far more than that.
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