When talking with friends and neighbors about religious matters, we should be aware that not everyone is at the same point. For example, one may be active in a manmade religious group and even study the Bible regularly. Another may have only a smattering of Biblical knowledge and an abundance of questions regarding God’s character and existence. Still another may be an avowed atheist. What’s more, all these individuals may live on the same street!
Seeing this diversity and uniqueness, we must be careful to approach each one wisely. Going to the atheist with Bible verses indicating the need to be baptized would be a fruitless endeavor. Likewise, approaching a denominationalist with materials to prove God’s existence would accomplish little. To order our evangelistic efforts, it would be helpful to imagine three hurdles for each person to overcome: the three essential questions with which we are all faced.
1) Does God Exist?
The crucial beginning question asks whether there is a Creator, an Intelligent Designer. Or could it be that the material universe (and mankind specifically) is merely the product of random chance? Observation of the natural world fills mankind with awe. We find a great diversity of both living and nonliving forms around us, all of which coexist and depend upon one another—everything from the detailed activities of an ant or the intricate workings of the human eye all the way up to majestic and colossal mountain ranges and beautiful far-off stars and planets. There must be an impressive explanation for the visible wonders of the material world. These are not only the thoughts of poets and artists, but also of scientists! The law of cause and effect indicates that every effect must have an adequate and antecedent cause. The law of biogenesis states that life arises from pre-existing life, not from nonliving material. The laws of thermodynamics (especially the second) show that the universe is not eternal. Like a wind-up clock, the universe is gradually running down. Rational minds ask, “Who or what wound up the clock in the beginning?” We must conclude there exists a Being greater than and outside of the universe—the Uncaused Cause.
2) Is the Bible His Inspired Word?
After establishing the existence of God, one would naturally desire to know more about Him and His will. Is the Bible truly inspired? Or is it only the product of men? Many key characteristics separate the Bible from other works of literature and show its divine origin: First, consider that the Bible contains predictive prophecy. To give just one example, Isaiah named Cyrus as the coming leader to allow the rebuilding of Jerusalem about 200 years before the fact (Isa. 44:28; 45:1). There are approximately 800 prophecies in the Old Testament, about 300 of which have a specific focus on Christ. The “holy books” of other world religions do not come close to the Bible in this regard. Second, the Bible demonstrates scientific foreknowledge, mentioning facts related to oceanography (Psa. 8:8), astronomy (Job 26:7; 38:33), and many other fields. Third, the Bible contains verifiable history regarding the Hittite nation (Ex. 23:28), King David (1 Sam. 16:13), Pilate (Mt. 27:2; Lk. 3:1), and numerous others. Finally, when you add to all this the high code of ethics and unity of message found throughout, you can see that the Bible did not come from the mind of man.
3) What Must I Do to Be Saved?
Only after the first two hurdles do we reach this final and most important question. The Bible tells of sin, the transgression of God’s law, which brings separation and eternal punishment (Isa. 59:1-2; Jam. 1:15; Mt. 25:32, 46). We share in this common problem (Rom. 3:10, 23). The Bible also reveals how Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, who willingly took on the form of a servant to live as a man and to die as a sacrifice to save sinners (Mt. 1:21; Lk. 19:10; Jn. 1:1, 14; Php. 2:5-8; 1 Tim. 1:15). Those who hear and believe His teaching, repenting of their sins and confessing Christ as Lord, choose to be immersed in water for the remission of sins and to be added by the Lord to His church (Mk. 16:15-16; Acts 2:37-38, 47; 1 Pet. 3:21). Once we have been united with His death, we live as new people with a new purpose (Rom. 6:5-6; 2 Cor. 5:17-21).
We want to win souls (Prov. 11:30). To do so requires wisdom. We must remember that each soul stands at a different point along the path of understanding. May we run life’s race with endurance and assist others as well (Heb. 12:1-2). By thoughtfully addressing these three fundamental questions in their proper order, we can help remove obstacles and guide honest hearts toward the truth.
-John Haffner