Continuing on with our series of the most common questions asked by enquirers we come, now, to the most pertinent question of all viz. "How do you know the Bible is true?"
The reason I say that it is the most pertinent of questions is simple. We are spreading a message which has huge implications for peoples' lives and their eternal destiny. We are claiming that we have the answer, not only to life itself, but on how to obtain eternal life in Heaven.
Moreover, we are basing all of this on a book written 1,000s of years ago, and which is often derided as "an irrelevance written by ignorant goat-herders who didn't have the advantage of modern scientific discoveries".
So, what answer do we give to such enquirers? We answer the question in 4 ways:
1. Fulfilled prophecies.
The Old Testament is replete with prophecies about the coming Messiah which were fulfilled in Jesus Christ. People who wish to examine this in greater detail will be advised to do their research on the internet, but 2 examples will suffice. Isaiah 53 is clearly about a coming one who would die as a sacrifice for His people ("for the transgression of my people was he stricken" - v.8); also Psalm 22 speaks of death by crucifixion hundreds of years before such a barbarity was even invented.
It would also be worthwhile to mention the 7-fold prophecy of Tyre in Ezekiel chapter 26 which was perfectly fulfilled. The chances of this happening merely "by accident" would be 1 in many millions.
2. Archaeological Discoveries.
No Archaeological discovery has ever disproved the Bible despite intensive digs taking place over many generations in the lands of the Bible. On the contrary, such expeditions have served to prove the historicity of the Biblical record time and again. Space does not permit me to go into intensive details (again, an internet search is recommended) but I would just mention the city of Nineveh. This was destroyed by the Babylonians in 612BC as prophesied in the book of Nahum.. At one time the Biblical record of this happening was scoffed at by historians as, they claimed, no such place even existed! However, the ruins were discovered in the 1840s and, once again, the Bible proved to be true.
3. It has stood the test of time.
If the Bible was not the Word of God, and divinely preserved, then it would have been eradicated, or at best, just became a museum piece. The reason for my stating that is because no book has been subjected to so many attempts at destruction, as the Bible. Its opponents have been numerous over many centuries and it simply would not have survived. However, it has not only survived but is daily being printed and distributed all over the world!
4. The power to change lives.
Over the last 2,000 years millions of people have experienced a powerful change through reading God's Word as the Holy Spirit has confirmed its truths and applied them to their lives and situations. Time and again I have heard personal testimonies of people who once had lives that were in a terrible mess, but have been transformed by God's power. Indeed, as the Bible says: "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God" - Romans 10 v 17.
In conclusion, when we get challenged to show that the Bible is the Word of God, we should not be fazed, but we should relish the opportunity to give a reason for the hope that lies within us. We have the evidence on our side, let's no be afraid to use it!
Next week we hope to look at the question: "If the Christian faith is true, then why do so many people not accept Christ?"
Saturday, 28 October 2017
Saturday, 14 October 2017
FAQs from the unsaved #6 - What about the hypocrites in churches?
In our series of questions most frequently asked by the unsaved we come, now, to one of the most common viz. "What about the hypocrites in churches?" or, to put it another way, "How can I believe in Jesus when so many Christians are doing bad things?".
People who ask this have probably seen media reports of vicars running off with members of the congregation, or pervert priests doing evil things to kids, or a number of other reports that show supposed Christians doing the most awful things.
To be fair, it is possible that some who ask these questions may be genuinely willing to consider the claims of Christ, but have been put off by these media reports. Others, are simply looking for excuses not to come to faith in Christ.
So how do we answer such queries?
Firstly, it should be acknowledged that professing Christians have committed terrible crimes and the media reports are often correct in the basic facts reported. However, we should answer the question with a question viz. "How do you know that the person concerned is a true Christian?" - many people claim to be followers of Christ, and may even have a good knowledge of the Bible, but may never have had a true work of grace in their hearts. Such people, may talk the talk, but have never come to repentance and true faith in Christ as their Lord and Saviour. An example of this would be Judas - not only did he betray Christ but, we are told in scripture, that he would steal money from the treasury bag. It is clear, therefore, that he was never truly saved in the first place.
Secondly, we could challenge the enquirer by saying that one day, every one of us will stand before God as individuals, and give account before Him (Romans 14 v 12) ; it will do us no good to point the finger at other peoples' failings as God will say "I will deal with them, what about you?".
Thirdly, we could challenge the enquirer by asking him a simple question: "Are you prepared to give up an opportunity to get to Heaven, because of the actions of other people?". In other words, as Christ is the only way to Heaven, and as people are put off believing in Him because of the actions of hypocrites, this means they have forfeited their chance to be saved because of the wrong deeds of other people.
This last point is a powerful argument - we are all appalled by the actions of hypocrites, but refusing to believe in Jesus because of them means we damage ourselves. Whether or not we believe is not going to make a scrap of difference to hypocrites, but it will affect our own eternal destiny.
I hope you are finding these articles helpful, next week we hope to look at the question - "How do you know the Bible is true?"
People who ask this have probably seen media reports of vicars running off with members of the congregation, or pervert priests doing evil things to kids, or a number of other reports that show supposed Christians doing the most awful things.
To be fair, it is possible that some who ask these questions may be genuinely willing to consider the claims of Christ, but have been put off by these media reports. Others, are simply looking for excuses not to come to faith in Christ.
So how do we answer such queries?
Firstly, it should be acknowledged that professing Christians have committed terrible crimes and the media reports are often correct in the basic facts reported. However, we should answer the question with a question viz. "How do you know that the person concerned is a true Christian?" - many people claim to be followers of Christ, and may even have a good knowledge of the Bible, but may never have had a true work of grace in their hearts. Such people, may talk the talk, but have never come to repentance and true faith in Christ as their Lord and Saviour. An example of this would be Judas - not only did he betray Christ but, we are told in scripture, that he would steal money from the treasury bag. It is clear, therefore, that he was never truly saved in the first place.
Secondly, we could challenge the enquirer by saying that one day, every one of us will stand before God as individuals, and give account before Him (Romans 14 v 12) ; it will do us no good to point the finger at other peoples' failings as God will say "I will deal with them, what about you?".
Thirdly, we could challenge the enquirer by asking him a simple question: "Are you prepared to give up an opportunity to get to Heaven, because of the actions of other people?". In other words, as Christ is the only way to Heaven, and as people are put off believing in Him because of the actions of hypocrites, this means they have forfeited their chance to be saved because of the wrong deeds of other people.
This last point is a powerful argument - we are all appalled by the actions of hypocrites, but refusing to believe in Jesus because of them means we damage ourselves. Whether or not we believe is not going to make a scrap of difference to hypocrites, but it will affect our own eternal destiny.
I hope you are finding these articles helpful, next week we hope to look at the question - "How do you know the Bible is true?"
Wednesday, 4 October 2017
FAQs from the unsaved #5 - How could God be so cruel as to command genocide?
Continuing our series on the type of questions I get asked when doing street evangelism, I come now to one that is not as frequent as the others, but has still arisen from time to time -
"How could God be so cruel as to command genocide?"
This type of question tends to get asked by militant atheists who have read the Bible with the sole aim of finding "contradictions" or objectionable statements (objectionable in their eyes, that is). However, as I stated in an earlier article, unless we have good grounds to believe that an enquirer is insincere, we should proceed on the basis that they are genuine seekers after truth. The person raising this matter may be a genuine seeker who has been reading the Bible and has come across these "difficult" passages.
It is to be acknowledged that, according to scripture, God did command the Israelites to wipe out the inhabitants of the Promised Land, examples being Deuteronomy 7 v 2 and also, in the same book, chapter 20 v 17-18.
There are a number of ways that this question can be answered, and I'm not saying that my readers should slavishly follow these suggestions, but I tend to approach it like this:
One should not say, How can God be so cruel as to command genocide but rather, How could people be so wicked as to need wiping out?
Having chosen the Jews God wanted to protect them from both spiritual harm and physical disease. In Deut. 20 v 18 we read that God wanted these heathens wiped out so that they could not be a temptation to the Israelites. Indeed, as we see while reading through the Old Testament, the Jews failed to obey God's command, they did not wipe out the heathens and, as a result, were led into the sin of idolatry and unnatural perversions. This, in turn, led to God having to chastise them.
Moreover, God wanted to protect them from physical disease - these heathens were so vile with their unnatural perversions that disease would have been rife and the Lord, who had the best interests of His people at heart, wanted to preserve them from that.
Indeed, as we look at Britain, today, we see that that situation has arisen. The incidents of disease caused by sinful living is at an all time high. Moreover, there have been notable occasions when people have died as a result of perverse living (Freddie Mercury and George Michael for example).
So you see, then, when God commanded this "genocide" it was for a good purpose - to protect His own precious people.
No doubt, because most people are humanistic, (and that also includes some "Christians") there will be objections to the answers I have given, but they are eminently Biblical and I stand by them.
"How could God be so cruel as to command genocide?"
This type of question tends to get asked by militant atheists who have read the Bible with the sole aim of finding "contradictions" or objectionable statements (objectionable in their eyes, that is). However, as I stated in an earlier article, unless we have good grounds to believe that an enquirer is insincere, we should proceed on the basis that they are genuine seekers after truth. The person raising this matter may be a genuine seeker who has been reading the Bible and has come across these "difficult" passages.
It is to be acknowledged that, according to scripture, God did command the Israelites to wipe out the inhabitants of the Promised Land, examples being Deuteronomy 7 v 2 and also, in the same book, chapter 20 v 17-18.
There are a number of ways that this question can be answered, and I'm not saying that my readers should slavishly follow these suggestions, but I tend to approach it like this:
One should not say, How can God be so cruel as to command genocide but rather, How could people be so wicked as to need wiping out?
Having chosen the Jews God wanted to protect them from both spiritual harm and physical disease. In Deut. 20 v 18 we read that God wanted these heathens wiped out so that they could not be a temptation to the Israelites. Indeed, as we see while reading through the Old Testament, the Jews failed to obey God's command, they did not wipe out the heathens and, as a result, were led into the sin of idolatry and unnatural perversions. This, in turn, led to God having to chastise them.
Moreover, God wanted to protect them from physical disease - these heathens were so vile with their unnatural perversions that disease would have been rife and the Lord, who had the best interests of His people at heart, wanted to preserve them from that.
Indeed, as we look at Britain, today, we see that that situation has arisen. The incidents of disease caused by sinful living is at an all time high. Moreover, there have been notable occasions when people have died as a result of perverse living (Freddie Mercury and George Michael for example).
So you see, then, when God commanded this "genocide" it was for a good purpose - to protect His own precious people.
No doubt, because most people are humanistic, (and that also includes some "Christians") there will be objections to the answers I have given, but they are eminently Biblical and I stand by them.
Saturday, 30 September 2017
FAQs from the unsaved #4 - How can a God of love put people in Hell?
In continuing our series on the questions most frequently asked by unbelievers we come to one that has perplexed even, at times, sincere Christians - How can a God of love put people in Hell?
"After all", it is said, "most people are not seriously wicked, they seek to help their neighbours and lead law-abiding lives, is the Bible correct to say that there is a Hell, as well as a Heaven? I can understand your view of Hell, if it is for people like Hitler, but most of us are not bad enough to deserve that, surely?"
Before answering this question we need to bear in mind 2 important points - in our natural state we are all humanistic, that is, we believe in the innate goodness of human nature; and, secondly, we are all unwilling, to submit to authority when it doesn't agree with us.
First, of all, people are NOT innately good. The Bible teaches that we are all corrupt, compared to God's standard of perfection we have ALL fallen short (Romans 3 v 10-23). Indeed, Psalm 51 v 5 speaks about being in sin from the mother's womb. This is deeply offensive to the natural man, but it is the truth and must be taught. Remember, too, that the natural man refuses to accept God's word unless their eyes are opened (1st Cor. 2 v 14).
Secondly, God, in His great mercy and love, has provided a way for us to avoid the eternal destiny that we all deserve. The immortal John 3 v 16 makes it clear that eternal life is on offer for all who turn to Christ. When we point that out we are often met with 1 of 2 responses - either people will accept that God is love and they need to avail themselves of His offer (or at least give it serious consideration and further reflection) or they will show their innate rebellion against the authority of God's word and declare that it is arrogant to be so narrow-minded as to state there is only 1 way to be saved. They may also consider that "God is arrogant to demand the willing subservience of His creatures".
Either way, by pointing out that God has opened the way for people to be saved we put them on notice that, if they end up in Hell, it is entirely their own fault. Rather like the hospital patient who dies because he refused the medicine, one who refuses to accept Jesus as the Christ, has refused to avail himself of the "medicine" that will heal his sin-sick soul.
I do hope this is helpful. Next time we will look at the objections to some of the Old Testament passages on the Israelites attacking the inhabitants of the promised land.
"After all", it is said, "most people are not seriously wicked, they seek to help their neighbours and lead law-abiding lives, is the Bible correct to say that there is a Hell, as well as a Heaven? I can understand your view of Hell, if it is for people like Hitler, but most of us are not bad enough to deserve that, surely?"
Before answering this question we need to bear in mind 2 important points - in our natural state we are all humanistic, that is, we believe in the innate goodness of human nature; and, secondly, we are all unwilling, to submit to authority when it doesn't agree with us.
First, of all, people are NOT innately good. The Bible teaches that we are all corrupt, compared to God's standard of perfection we have ALL fallen short (Romans 3 v 10-23). Indeed, Psalm 51 v 5 speaks about being in sin from the mother's womb. This is deeply offensive to the natural man, but it is the truth and must be taught. Remember, too, that the natural man refuses to accept God's word unless their eyes are opened (1st Cor. 2 v 14).
Secondly, God, in His great mercy and love, has provided a way for us to avoid the eternal destiny that we all deserve. The immortal John 3 v 16 makes it clear that eternal life is on offer for all who turn to Christ. When we point that out we are often met with 1 of 2 responses - either people will accept that God is love and they need to avail themselves of His offer (or at least give it serious consideration and further reflection) or they will show their innate rebellion against the authority of God's word and declare that it is arrogant to be so narrow-minded as to state there is only 1 way to be saved. They may also consider that "God is arrogant to demand the willing subservience of His creatures".
Either way, by pointing out that God has opened the way for people to be saved we put them on notice that, if they end up in Hell, it is entirely their own fault. Rather like the hospital patient who dies because he refused the medicine, one who refuses to accept Jesus as the Christ, has refused to avail himself of the "medicine" that will heal his sin-sick soul.
I do hope this is helpful. Next time we will look at the objections to some of the Old Testament passages on the Israelites attacking the inhabitants of the promised land.
Saturday, 16 September 2017
FAQs from the unsaved #3 - Why does God allow suffering?
Continuing on with our series of questions asked by sincere enquirers when we spread the Gospel, we come, now, to one of the most common. Indeed, it is a question which even the most zealous Christians may ask, from time to time. The question is this - "Why does God allow suffering?".
The short answer is that God ordains "all things according to the counsel of His own will" (Eph. 1 v 11) and we are to submit to His sovereignty. However, that may be deemed a touch insensitive, particularly if the enquirer is going through a time of distress, or trial.
A more measured response is to look at this in 4 ways:
1. We can't blame God for man's wickedness, or folly.
Most of the suffering in this world occurs because of people's acts of malice. Crime, violence, aggression, and so forth, cause a great deal of distress and God is not to blame for that. Moreover, there are times when accidents and suffering are caused by acts of folly by people who are simply not thinking about the consequences of their actions - again that is not God's doing but man's.
We can say the same thing about food shortages in some parts of the world. There is enough food to go round but it is not being shared out and, of course, bad farming methods can result in famine.
2. When God created the world it was perfect, but man rebelled.
We read, in Genesis chapter 3 that after God made the world Adam and Eve rebelled against His command and, as a result, the earth was cursed (v 17). This has led to so many problems we cannot possibly enumerate them here. Examples would include freak weather, earthquakes, tsunamis etc etc etc. While not wishing to sound uncaring to people who have suffered as a result of these disasters, it is not God's fault that Adam and Eve sinned, and the earth was put under a curse. If they had not disobeyed Him then the earth would still be perfect - it is that simple.
3. When God created man there was no sickness and death.
When Adam and Eve first walked the earth they were healthy and not in any danger of death. However, as we are told in Romans 5 v 12, their susceptibility to frailty and death came about as a direct result of their sin. While it would be wrong to suggest that every sick person is suffering because of personal sin (though that may be true in some cases eg. drunkenness) there is a general principle that needs to be stressed here. Sickness, frailty and death only came into the world after Adam sinned - and we see this in people today because we have all inherited the consequences of the Fall of Man. Again, if man had not sinned in the Garden of Eden, we would not be sick and die.
4. Pushing God away robs one of the peace which only He can give.
Ultimately, we cannot give easy answers to the problem of suffering, especially when the enquirer has recently had a bereavement, or is facing a terminal illness; but we can stress that the God whom they question, is the God who can give them the peace they need to get through this trial.
Making that point then gives us an excellent opportunity to present Christ to a person as the only one who can give the peace of God, and peace with God - John 14 v 27.
The short answer is that God ordains "all things according to the counsel of His own will" (Eph. 1 v 11) and we are to submit to His sovereignty. However, that may be deemed a touch insensitive, particularly if the enquirer is going through a time of distress, or trial.
A more measured response is to look at this in 4 ways:
1. We can't blame God for man's wickedness, or folly.
Most of the suffering in this world occurs because of people's acts of malice. Crime, violence, aggression, and so forth, cause a great deal of distress and God is not to blame for that. Moreover, there are times when accidents and suffering are caused by acts of folly by people who are simply not thinking about the consequences of their actions - again that is not God's doing but man's.
We can say the same thing about food shortages in some parts of the world. There is enough food to go round but it is not being shared out and, of course, bad farming methods can result in famine.
2. When God created the world it was perfect, but man rebelled.
We read, in Genesis chapter 3 that after God made the world Adam and Eve rebelled against His command and, as a result, the earth was cursed (v 17). This has led to so many problems we cannot possibly enumerate them here. Examples would include freak weather, earthquakes, tsunamis etc etc etc. While not wishing to sound uncaring to people who have suffered as a result of these disasters, it is not God's fault that Adam and Eve sinned, and the earth was put under a curse. If they had not disobeyed Him then the earth would still be perfect - it is that simple.
3. When God created man there was no sickness and death.
When Adam and Eve first walked the earth they were healthy and not in any danger of death. However, as we are told in Romans 5 v 12, their susceptibility to frailty and death came about as a direct result of their sin. While it would be wrong to suggest that every sick person is suffering because of personal sin (though that may be true in some cases eg. drunkenness) there is a general principle that needs to be stressed here. Sickness, frailty and death only came into the world after Adam sinned - and we see this in people today because we have all inherited the consequences of the Fall of Man. Again, if man had not sinned in the Garden of Eden, we would not be sick and die.
4. Pushing God away robs one of the peace which only He can give.
Ultimately, we cannot give easy answers to the problem of suffering, especially when the enquirer has recently had a bereavement, or is facing a terminal illness; but we can stress that the God whom they question, is the God who can give them the peace they need to get through this trial.
Making that point then gives us an excellent opportunity to present Christ to a person as the only one who can give the peace of God, and peace with God - John 14 v 27.
Saturday, 9 September 2017
FAQs from the unsaved #2 - Hasn't science disproved the Bible?
Continuing on with my series of articles on FAQs asked by the unsaved we come now to one of the most common viz.
"Hasn't science disproved the Bible?"
When confronted by questions such as this, the tendency is to assume that the enquirer is simply trying to be contentious and, in some measure, to "wind us up". That may be so, at times, but I'm inclined to the view that, unless we have good cause to believe that the enquirer is insincere, we should proceed on the basis that this is a genuine enquiry, and seek to answer it accordingly.
It is a fair question, after all, we are asking people to stake their lives, and, indeed, their eternal destiny, on a book written thousands of years ago, when people didn't have the scientific knowledge they have today. Moreover, in watching TV documentaries on alleged scientific discoveries, they may have heard the narrator make comments that flatly contradict Biblical teaching. So what answer should we give?
First of all, we should state that no provable fact of science contradicts the Bible. That may come as a surprise given the prominence in the world of science to the evolution issue. However, remember, evolution is a theory and, contrary to popular belief, has NOT been proved. As far as provable facts are concerned we can point to the following 4 scientific discoveries:
1. The 5 categories of science.
In Victorian England one Herbert Spencer declared that there were 5 categories of science viz.
Time
Force
Action
Space
Matter
Mr Spencer was lauded for this discovery, perhaps he didn't realise that God's word beat him to it. In Genesis 1 v 1 we read "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." What do we see here? In the beginning (Time) God (Force) created (Action) the heaven (Space) and the earth (Matter).
2. The Earth "hangs on nothing".
At one time it was believed that Atlas carried the Earth on his shoulders. Then it was discovered that this was not the case but that it doesn't have any material substance holding it up. What does the Bible say? In Job 26 v 7 we read that God "...hangs the earth upon nothing".
3. The Earth is round, not flat.
At one time it was believed that the Earth was flat, and that if you travelled on a boat across the sea you would eventually fall off the end! It was then discovered, to the evident relief of sailors, that the world is, in fact, round. What does the Bible say? In Isaiah 40 v 22 we read that God "sits upon the circle of the earth..."
4. The stars are innumerable.
At one time scientists believed that it was possible to count the stars in the night sky. Indeed, in the 2nd century AD Ptolemy confidently stated that there were 1,056 stars. However, the truth was eventually realised when Galileo stated that they could not be counted, there were so many. What does the Bible say? In Jeremiah 33 v 22 we read that the stars "cannot be numbered".
If one was to do the necessary research it would be seen that the above examples are just a small sample of the many, many provable scientific discoveries that confirm that the Bible really is trustworthy.
We should never be afraid to declare the truth of the Bible's absolute trustworthiness and encourage people to do look into the matter more thoroughly, in order to satisfy themselves.
Let us remember, though, that scientific facts alone will not convert people to Christ; that is a supernatural work of the Holy Spirit as they are "born from above" - John 3 v 3.
"Hasn't science disproved the Bible?"
When confronted by questions such as this, the tendency is to assume that the enquirer is simply trying to be contentious and, in some measure, to "wind us up". That may be so, at times, but I'm inclined to the view that, unless we have good cause to believe that the enquirer is insincere, we should proceed on the basis that this is a genuine enquiry, and seek to answer it accordingly.
It is a fair question, after all, we are asking people to stake their lives, and, indeed, their eternal destiny, on a book written thousands of years ago, when people didn't have the scientific knowledge they have today. Moreover, in watching TV documentaries on alleged scientific discoveries, they may have heard the narrator make comments that flatly contradict Biblical teaching. So what answer should we give?
First of all, we should state that no provable fact of science contradicts the Bible. That may come as a surprise given the prominence in the world of science to the evolution issue. However, remember, evolution is a theory and, contrary to popular belief, has NOT been proved. As far as provable facts are concerned we can point to the following 4 scientific discoveries:
1. The 5 categories of science.
In Victorian England one Herbert Spencer declared that there were 5 categories of science viz.
Time
Force
Action
Space
Matter
Mr Spencer was lauded for this discovery, perhaps he didn't realise that God's word beat him to it. In Genesis 1 v 1 we read "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." What do we see here? In the beginning (Time) God (Force) created (Action) the heaven (Space) and the earth (Matter).
2. The Earth "hangs on nothing".
At one time it was believed that Atlas carried the Earth on his shoulders. Then it was discovered that this was not the case but that it doesn't have any material substance holding it up. What does the Bible say? In Job 26 v 7 we read that God "...hangs the earth upon nothing".
3. The Earth is round, not flat.
At one time it was believed that the Earth was flat, and that if you travelled on a boat across the sea you would eventually fall off the end! It was then discovered, to the evident relief of sailors, that the world is, in fact, round. What does the Bible say? In Isaiah 40 v 22 we read that God "sits upon the circle of the earth..."
4. The stars are innumerable.
At one time scientists believed that it was possible to count the stars in the night sky. Indeed, in the 2nd century AD Ptolemy confidently stated that there were 1,056 stars. However, the truth was eventually realised when Galileo stated that they could not be counted, there were so many. What does the Bible say? In Jeremiah 33 v 22 we read that the stars "cannot be numbered".
If one was to do the necessary research it would be seen that the above examples are just a small sample of the many, many provable scientific discoveries that confirm that the Bible really is trustworthy.
We should never be afraid to declare the truth of the Bible's absolute trustworthiness and encourage people to do look into the matter more thoroughly, in order to satisfy themselves.
Let us remember, though, that scientific facts alone will not convert people to Christ; that is a supernatural work of the Holy Spirit as they are "born from above" - John 3 v 3.
Thursday, 31 August 2017
FAQs from the unsaved #1 - What about those who've never heard of Jesus?
It has been my privilege to engage in street evangelism since the 1970s and, over that time, I've been asked numerous questions by literally 100s of people. As I pondered the issue of what to write as my next article, it occurred to me that you may find it helpful to read a series on the FAQs asked by the unsaved, and what answers should we give.
This week's FAQ is "What about those who've never heard of Jesus?"
When we share the Gospel with people on a regular basis it is not long before this is asked. After all, we claim to believe in the truth of John 14 v 6 and, that if there was any other way for people to be saved, other than through the cross-work of Christ, then He died for nothing. Therefore, at least by implication, we are saying that those who don't trust in Christ are lost. "Surely", we are asked, "that isn't fair, what if they've never had a chance to hear the Gospel?".
It is a pertinent question and I tend to answer it in 3 ways (it is unlikely the enquirer will give you time to mention all 3, so you may have to make a choice of what answer to give!).
Firstly, the Bible teaches that the Judge of all the earth will do right - Genesis 18 v 25. Consequently, we can be sure that He will do right by them. Follow this up with your own question viz. "You have heard, don't you think that means you are without excuse?".
Secondly, we are told in Scripture that those who truly seek for God will find Him - Jeremiah 29 v 13 and, the Saviour's words, in Matthew 7 v 7. If someone is sincerely seeking for God then He will bring the Gospel to them. Cases in point being the Ethiopian in Acts 8, and Cornelius in Acts 10.
Thirdly, we are told, in John 6 v 37 that every person given to Jesus by the Father will come to Him. The God who ordains the end, also ordains the means whereby that end is carried out. We can be absolutely confident that every one of God's elect will hear, or at least read, the Gospel, and that God will grant them the gift of faith to enable them to believe (see John 6 v 65).
Bearing all this in mind, we do not need to be fumbling about looking for an "acceptable" answer when put on the spot with this question. God IS sovereign, and He will ensure that His purposes are carried out, His church is built and His name is glorified in the salvation of souls.
This week's FAQ is "What about those who've never heard of Jesus?"
When we share the Gospel with people on a regular basis it is not long before this is asked. After all, we claim to believe in the truth of John 14 v 6 and, that if there was any other way for people to be saved, other than through the cross-work of Christ, then He died for nothing. Therefore, at least by implication, we are saying that those who don't trust in Christ are lost. "Surely", we are asked, "that isn't fair, what if they've never had a chance to hear the Gospel?".
It is a pertinent question and I tend to answer it in 3 ways (it is unlikely the enquirer will give you time to mention all 3, so you may have to make a choice of what answer to give!).
Firstly, the Bible teaches that the Judge of all the earth will do right - Genesis 18 v 25. Consequently, we can be sure that He will do right by them. Follow this up with your own question viz. "You have heard, don't you think that means you are without excuse?".
Secondly, we are told in Scripture that those who truly seek for God will find Him - Jeremiah 29 v 13 and, the Saviour's words, in Matthew 7 v 7. If someone is sincerely seeking for God then He will bring the Gospel to them. Cases in point being the Ethiopian in Acts 8, and Cornelius in Acts 10.
Thirdly, we are told, in John 6 v 37 that every person given to Jesus by the Father will come to Him. The God who ordains the end, also ordains the means whereby that end is carried out. We can be absolutely confident that every one of God's elect will hear, or at least read, the Gospel, and that God will grant them the gift of faith to enable them to believe (see John 6 v 65).
Bearing all this in mind, we do not need to be fumbling about looking for an "acceptable" answer when put on the spot with this question. God IS sovereign, and He will ensure that His purposes are carried out, His church is built and His name is glorified in the salvation of souls.
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