Challenge Your View on Faith

The earlier in life a person is introduced to a skill, the better a chance they have of mastering it. For example, learning a second language as a child enables one to develop a native accent and to truly become bilingual. For a personal example, if I had picked up a golf club as a child rather than in my twenties, I would have become a scratch golfer rather than a double-digit handicapper.

The point is, for many things, statistically speaking…. the earlier in life, the better.

I believe this is true for the Christian faith. One of the most fortunate situations that anyone can be “born into” is to grow up in a Christian home. We receive exposure to Jesus sooner in life, learning early on how to accept His incredible gift of salvation. Everyone who is fortunate enough to have a Christian family should thank the Lord every day for that specific blessing in their lives. The older I grow and the more people I meet, the more I realize this is a rarity.

Despite early exposure, most who grow up in the church don’t necessarily learn how to defend their faith properly. A century and a half ago, we would have looked at this lacking ability as no harm, no foul. At that time, most Christians never encountered scenarios where defending their faith was necessary. Within the church, the Bible was revered as the Word of God, reliable and true, no questions asked. Other worldviews surely existed, but their patrons were more private, certainly not outwardly antagonistic toward Christians.

Times change. The world changes. Fallible human theories and explanations have infiltrated school textbooks and generations of minds. Patrons of other worldviews are the majority, more vocal, and sometimes, more antagonistic. The younger a person is now, the more likely they are to find themselves in a situation where their faith is under attack, even in what may seem like harmless exchanges.  

It’s more important than ever to be properly versed in how to defend our faith, yet taking the steps toward that mastery may seem unnatural to many. Once we know Jesus, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit takes over. That feeling of “I just know,” develops and resides in believers. This is perfectly normal, but if we are not vigilant, we can lull ourselves into a false sense of security. Until we are truly in a position where we need to provide answers, we don’t realize how naïve it is to think that our personal testimony is adequate, or that we can convince others to “just have faith.”

As faithful disciples, we accept things that we can’t see or touch or fully understand because the Holy Spirit gives us confidence that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. That is the essence of faith—accepting what we can’t fully understand. When I first began this journey, studying materials to help me understand the proof of God’s existence and the truth of Jesus’ resurrection initially felt wrong. It wasn't until I needed this critical skill and didn't have it that I fully appreciated its value. Afterall, when you already know God is real, you don’t need anyone to prove it to you. I felt like I was telling God that my faith in His Word was not enough. I imagine that many Christians may feel this way when first exposed to the concept of apologetics.

I was able to get over this hurdle once I understood that there is a difference between faith and blind faith. God does not expect us to have blind faith. If He did, we wouldn’t have the 66 books of the Bible explaining our origins and leading us to the hope that is in Jesus. Jesus Himself demonstrated His deity through His observable and powerful miracles, which were well documented and that can be easily defended with proper study and understanding.

In a day in which humanistic worldviews have pitted science and history against the Bible, we must take a step back and remember something.

Times change. The world changes....

But God doesn’t, and neither does His Word.

People and their human theories are fallible....

But God is perfect, and so is His Word.

God documented the history of the universe for us in the Bible. He demonstrated the ability to trust His faithfulness when He told Noah that He would save him from the impending Flood; when He brought forth many nations out of Abraham as promised; and when He sent Jesus to fulfill over three hundred Messianic prophecies. (Gen 6:17-19; Gen 12:2)

God gave us logic, reason and true science. Through three Gospel writers, Jesus commands us to love the Lord with all our heart, all our soul, all our strength, and..... all our mind. Through Paul, He reminds us that creation is clearly observable and those who deny it are without excuse. And as the rock on which the church was built, Peter instructs us to be ready always to defend our faith. (Matt 22:37; Mark 12:30; Luke 10:27; Rom 1:20; 1Pet 3:15)

When we realize that God expects us to use logic, reason, science and history to stand confidently on His Word, it changes the way we view faith. The more we learn about all the observable proofs of what the Bible tells us, the more we understand truth, and the greater our faith becomes. Learning how to defend our faith takes some time, but we owe it to the generations that follow us to master this skill, and to teach it to them.

I am still working toward more consistent posts for this blog and the Be Ready Always Facebook page. This and my previous post are an important foundation to help us prepare to learn together. It's OK if it feels uncomfortable. Take it a step at a time and let God's Word shine through all that we explore. I hope you will continue to follow as I share more in-depth information in coming posts.