As a believer in an increasingly post-Christian world, how we decide to approach unbelievers with the Gospel should consistently be in the forefront of our minds. Given the current cultural climate of popular science becoming more and more an advocate of the evidence supporting a Creator, the growing presupposition that truth is relative and subjective, and the increased dissemination of information, whether true or false, Christians are forced more than ever to depend on the two loadbearing columns of apologetics God has given us. These two foundational aspects of defending the faith are the testimony of creation and the testimony of our conscience.
Following the Bible’s example of Paul with the Athenians, we should seek to begin by creating common ground with the Gentile world around us. The common ground I am speaking of is the fact there must be a Creator. Paul spoke of the “unknown god” the Athenians had made an altar to worship, and we should similarly speak of the Creator the world around us claims they cannot or do not know in full. In Romans 1, we learn that creation testifies about God to a watching world, and this testimony is so sure that man is held without excuse for not responding appropriately to their Creator. Given this truth, we can follow multiple paths toward arguing for God as Creator.
One of the easiest evidences, in my experience, is to point to intelligent design in the universe. From the exactness of gravity, the distance of the earth from the sun, all the way to the complexity of astrophysics down to the intricacy of the human cell. As we pull unbelievers' minds toward the blazing truth of our God through creation, the prayer is that their consciences would be set aflame, and they would turn to the living God. At one point in time, the world and Christians believed science was at odds with the creation story and God as Creator. Now, we can turn the world’s eyes to science, which merely observes God’s creation and shows how science agrees with the need for a Creator.
The second easiest evidence, especially for younger generations, rests in society’s postmodern worldview. In a world confused about what a woman is, whether or not gender is fluid, and whether or not global warming is our ultimate enemy, the postmodern mindset is one of the easiest logical fallacies to uproot but needs to be done with a spirit of humility. As with any level of spiritual shepherding, there is an art to asking excellent, heart-probing questions that will enable us to win those whom God has chosen before the foundation of the world. A few examples of these questions would be, “How did you arrive at that conclusion? Are there moral absolutes, and if so, who decides what they are?”
We are always standing on the shoulders of the last generation in our striving for God’s kingdom here on earth. When we have such accessible examples like Ray Waters or Cliff Knecthle to show us how to engage with a watching world, we are without excuse for our inability to engage with the world around us and defend the faith. Having recently spent time with a few hundred unbelievers at a community hall (connected to a bar), I found it fascinating to simply ask them questions about how they think creation began, what makes something wrong or right, and what they believe in.
When I begin by asking others what they believe, it typically opens the door for them to feel obligated to ask me the same question. Being a good listener can open many doors for gospel witnessing and soften the world's view of Christ and His bride (in a sense). Simply getting the world around us to chew on these concepts of spiritual weight pulls them out of the vanity fair our enemy has cleverly kept them in and can provoke them to think of things they have otherwise and would otherwise ignore. While I still have much to learn, this simple approach has worked thus far, and I hope to continue adding to my repertoire in the future.
May God bless your week as you seek His kingdom first!
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Dan
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