My soul clings to you,Your right hand upholds me.
The Light and Heat of the Gospel
When dealing with someone who is struggling with the idea of Christianity and asking the question of why they should believe in the God of the Bible, we must realize that the struggle is rarely merely an intellectual one. And this is the case whether the person is an atheist, agnostic, going through deconstruction, or having doubt. As I have talked with people this is often the core issue. Even after giving what they agree to be a solid answer, they still don’t want to give up what they believe. They are often dealing with what they believe to be right and good, for without the King, every man does what is right in their own eyes. Sin often entangles us because we believe it is good. Psychologically we are often more persuaded by a good story than we are by facts. This is why slogans of those who attack Christianity often appeal to this condition and speak to the heart rather than the intellect. We hear things like, “Love wins” or “Love always”. After all who can argue with love, is not love the supreme good. Our responses though to these kinds of questions often deal with the intellect rather than the heart. I’ve seen many times where someone asks a genuine heart felt question where they are struggling only for the depth of their questions to be ignored by some intellectual response. The Bible though solid in its intellectual compacity does not ignore this flaw of human nature and how we often follow our hearts. In dealing with these kinds of questions we must follow the scriptures example. It is the word of God and the beautiful story of the Gospel that changes hearts. If we are patient and willing to listen to the depth of the questions that the person is having, we can have no fear, for the word of God is perfectly capable of handling a rowdy, struggling, sinful human heart. It sets the captives free. So instead of giving a solely intellectual answer that satisfies our own questions, we must dig deeper in our conversation with others and deeper into the word of God and let God’s words speak. The story of the Gospel is intriguing, compelling, beautiful, and awe inspiring. In the light of God’s beauty, the slogans of this world become a pale whisper and are exposed for the foolishness they are. The Gospel is far better than the silly slogans the world provides. It attacks both mind and heart. We need to be get better about not just giving an answer to the questions but entrancing people with wonder of the story. A story that unlike the slogans of this world stands on a firm and solid foundation. Unlike the fickle hearted ruled slogans of this world, thankfully there is not just beauty but also solid scholarship and intellect to back it up the Gospel, for only things in Christ can stand.
We often ignore the heart of the questions people are having because an unruly heart is so difficult to tame. It takes time, patience, struggle, and a willingness to get close and wrestle. We must keep in mind that the sword described in Hebrews 4 is not a long sword, but one meant for close combat and wrestling. It meant for this kind of struggle. So, we should not be surprised at this kind of warfare and be ready for close combat and wrestling with the enemy. We can stand against the enemy without fear, for it is easy to be brave when facing a foe, when there is a lion backing you up. As Augustine said, we need to uncage the lion and let the word of God roam free and stop holding it back. So don’t be afraid to intently and purposefully listen to the questions of those challenging Christianity, they are only whimper and pale in comparison to the lion. But also, do not attack them in your own strength or with what is right and wise in your own eyes. We do not depend on Egypt to win our battles. That glory goes to the Lord alone. Be patient and listen to their question and wait on the Lord and allow his word to conquer not your intellect. Let us gather around the fire of God’s word and experience the light and heat of the Gospel as we listen to the story and let it envelope us and sink into our hearts, breath, blood, flesh and bones.
