Tag Archives: freedom

Covid-19 Nuggets of Hope, Vision

Nuggets of Hope 26 – Crossing the Desert

How did Moses endure for forty years? How come he didn’t quit? How did he stay motivated?

His assignment was to lead Israel from Egypt to the Promised Land. This should have taken only a few weeks. Moses, however, was leading a people that had gotten used to slavery. They didn’t like the hardships of their lot in Egypt, but they didn’t like crossing the desert either. God had gotten them across the Red Sea, but they quickly forgot about His past faithfulness when a new problem arose. They rebelled against Moses’ leadership time and again. In the end it took them forty years to get to the Promised Land. An entire generation died in the wilderness.

When I read the account of Moses’ dealings with them, I am amazed at his perseverance. What an assignment!

I was thinking about this today because – like almost everyone who’s been enduring two months of COVID-19 self-isolation punctuated by a constant barrage of fear-laced news and commentary – I’m finding that it’s starting to get old. I’m missing my kids and grandkids. It’s like a physical ache. I’m missing being able to go out and do things with other people. Every day I make the choice to set my eyes on the Lord. I do my workouts, take time to pray, do my work, prepare and lead Bible studies, write blogs, go for my bike rides, and remind myself that this is temporary. But I’m still finding it long. I believe God has a purpose in this test – I’ve told many people that. But in my weakness, there’s a part of me that just wants this to be done. And it’s only been two months! Imagine forty years!

How did Moses do it?

I found an answer in the Letter to the Hebrews. This fascinating and faithbuilding letter was originally written to encourage and strengthen Jews who had accepted Jesus as their Messiah, and were tempted to quit in the face of stiff opposition. There, we find this compelling assessment of the source of Moses’ stamina.

By faith [Moses] left Egypt,
not being afraid of the anger of the king,
for he endured as seeing him who is invisible.
Hebrews 11:27

Two things stand out from this statement.

First, Moses endured because of his faith.

He believed that God exists, and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. In that belief, he found the courage to face down Pharaoh – not once, but multiple times. In that belief, he found courage to lead his people out of Egypt. In that belief, he persevered for forty years.

Second, Moses endured because he had seen God’s beauty.

His faith was not a raw, naked conviction forged out of strength of will alone. That was the kind of leader Moses had been as a young man, when in his rage he killed an Egyptian who was beating a Hebrew. But forty years in the wilderness, tending sheep, had changed him. An encounter with God in a burning bush changed him even more. Moses saw the One who can be seen only when God unveils our eyes, and he was humbled. He endured as seeing the One who is invisible.

Moses was desperately hungry for the glory of God. He eagerly sought the presence of God, and used to go to meet with God in a tent outside the camp. When Moses came out of the tent, his face shone so brightly with the glory of God that he covered it. Because of human impurity and sin, the brightness of God’s presence could not be seen on a permanent basis.

I’ve known people whose faces shine when they worship God. I want to be like that. I want to have a shining face. When Jesus died, the curtain of the temple was torn and access to the Holy Place – the presence of God – was opened. The Apostle Paul declares that as we turn to Jesus, the veil is removed, and we are changed into His likeness from one degree of glory to another.  I want that.

Moses didn’t make it to the Promised Land. Some believe this means God had rejected him. He was disciplined, but he wasn’t rejected. On the Mountain of Transfiguration, Jesus met with Moses and Elijah in a foretaste of his resurrection glory. They spoke of the things to come, and their faces shone with heavenly light.

These are the realities that keep me going. These are the realities that keep me motivated to press on and endure as I journey across the wilderness of this age. I find that I have to daily remind myself of these things. It’s easy to get dragged down by circumstances that seem hard to us. It’s good to remind ourselves of where we are headed. We are headed for the glory of God. I am so thankful that even now, in the darkness of this age and in the adversities of this life, He allows us – and even invites us – to feed on a measure of His glory.

Will you press on with me?

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Covid-19 Nuggets of Hope, Reflections on Life

Nuggets of Hope 23 – Keeping the Peace

The job of a hockey official is not always easy – especially during the Stanley Cup playoffs which we are currently missing. One of the more challenging aspects is keeping the peace between opposing players who get a bit hot under the collar in the heat of the game.

The COVID-19 pandemic, like a hockey game, could be likened to a battle between two opposing forces. But as with a hockey game, there are often various secondary skirmishes that take place on the sidelines. People have different points of view on the origins of the virus; the actions of government, public health and law enforcement officials; the wearing of masks; the rules for social distancing; the extent to which one should disinfect all surfaces – and they express them with great passion and conviction. This often leads to useless arguments.

Christians are not immune from such conflicts. We can get drawn into them like anyone else. Writing to the church in Colossae, Paul had this to say on how to avoid needless and unproductive quarrels.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts. (Colossians 3:15)

The literal meaning of the Greek word for “rule” refers to the function of a referee or umpire in an athletic contest. Part of the assignment of officials at sporting events is to keep the players from fighting with each other. Hockey officials usually do this by trying to talk the players down. However the players don’t always listen. Sometimes they just seem to be intent on a fight.

Handled constructively, the expression of different points of view can serve a positive purpose. Unfortunately, some are so committed to making their point that their statements are like declarations of war, seemingly calculated to provoke an explosion. Even those who frame their comments in an entirely reasonable tone find that they sometimes land in a minefield of emotion and the result can be a raging conflict.

I have learned that although I have freedom of speech, it’s wiser to remain silent when a productive dialogue seems impossible to achieve. Even valid insights are of little value if they are hurled at others like weapons of warfare – or even if they are uttered peaceably, but unlikely to be well-received because of the mental state of the hearer.

A wise man wrote that one who is able to rule his own spirit is better than one who can capture a city. I have found that when I take time to listen to Holy Spirit He always leads me into the peace of Jesus.

The other day I went for a bike ride after a long day. I was feeling worn down from work but also from hearing too much information and too many opinions. The Internet can do that to you, especially during a contentious time like this. I told Jesus that I needed Him to speak to me. I think He already knew that, but I needed to say it because I needed to position my heart to listen. It was a beautiful afternoon and as I cycled alongside farm fields, I saw a small bright yellow goldfinch flying just above the drainage ditch. The beauty immediately caused a prayer of thanks to rise from my heart.

I heard the Spirit ask me a question.

Who made all this?

You did, Lord.

The turmoil that I had been carrying in my heart subsided as I recognized the amazing wisdom and power of God that is displayed in His creation. I saw again that God, who made all things, will bring in His Kingdom in His time. He uses storms like the present COVID-19 crisis to bring the nations to submission. Some recognize this and some fight it. I am asking the Lord to discipline and instruct my heart so that I am quick to recognize His wisdom.

We have to choose to abide in the peace of Jesus. It doesn’t come automatically. We can choose to recognize His authority over our lives, and allow His peace to rule our thoughts. When we do this, the result is a fruitful life and open doors to share the life, peace and joy of Jesus with others. This is the wisdom on which I choose to build my life. Nothing else will last. His ways alone will endure.

Come, Lord Jesus.

 

 

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Basic Principles, Covid-19 Nuggets of Hope

Nuggets of Hope 12 – Cancelled

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Cancelled.

Many things have been cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Travel plans, meetings, projects, school, parties, shows – you name it.  Most of these cancellations are unwelcome, although some people are discovering a hidden blessing in the enforced slower pace of life.

For believers in Jesus, something else has been cancelled, and the cancellation has nothing to do with COVID-19.

Our record of sin has been cancelled. Our punishment has been cancelled. Our penalty – eternal separation from God in the lake of fire – has been cancelled.

The Apostle Paul summed it up with these memorable words (Romans 8:1-2 ESV)

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.

If you’ve been a lifelong Christian, it may be hard to think of yourself as a potential object of God’s wrath. But the Scriptures are very clear about this. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Had Jesus not gone to the cross for us, we would stand before God guilty and condemned.

If you are inclined to doubt this, consider one simple question. Do you want your own way? If you answered honestly, you have just admitted to being innately in rebellion against God. We humans like to think of ourselves as innocent and just. It’s other people who are perverse, not us. We’re very good at convincing ourselves of this. We far prefer this to facing our own guilt. Of course, if you’ve been learning to surrender to the work of grace, then you’ve been crucifying that rebellious, devious old nature – but you can only do that because Jesus – the perfect Lamb of God – went to the cross, wiped your slate clean, and secured for you a record of Not Guilty.

Let’s not waste the precious and wonderful gift of freedom that Jesus won for us. Let’s treasure it. If you have put your hope in Jesus, the wonderful, glorious truth is that you are not condemned. You could have been, should have been, but you weren’t, because Jesus took your condemnation for you. You don’t have to be afraid of COVID-19. You don’t have to be afraid to die. Your sentence was cancelled. You are free – free to live a new life for the glory of God.

Even if I don’t succumb to COVID-19, the reality is that I don’t know how long I have left in this life. When I consider what Jesus has done for me, I don’t want to waste the years I have left. My record of sin has been cancelled, and so has my ticket to the Lake of Fire. By the mercy of God, I’m going to miss that party.

Instead, I have an invitation to a much better, more glorious party – the wedding banquet of the Lamb and his Bride, a celebration of God’s glory, beauty and goodness that will never end. But I don’t want to get there, and find that I’m ashamed to go in because I’m not dressed for the occasion. I want to be dressed in the pure white garments of those who have been transformed by the love of Jesus.

That choice is open to anyone who wants it. If you’ve never given Jesus central place in your life, the COVID-19 pandemic is a great opportunity to take stock of where you’re really headed, turn to Jesus, turn in your cancelled ticket to hell and accept your free ticket to glory.

If you’ve already done that, this pandemic is also a great time to re-set your course and decide again that you want to be wholeheartedly for Jesus, so that when you get to the celebration you’ll have no need to be ashamed, and you can walk in and enjoy the party.

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Basic Principles, Bride of Christ, Covid-19 Nuggets of Hope

Nuggets of Hope 3 – Not Guilty

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Not guilty.

That’s what God, the Judge of all the earth, will say on the Last Day to all those who have put their hope in Jesus, the slain Lamb of God.

In the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic, I am offering these brief reflections as a way of finding hope by turning our attention to God. Today I want to focus on the good news that those who have put their hope in Jesus have peace with God because of the Lamb’s sacrifice.

In Romans 5:1, Paul writes these powerful words.

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith,
we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 

First, he says we are justified. That means we are declared innocent.

COVID-19 is something we can’t control. But what about the things you can control?

If you think of your actions and life choices as articles of clothing, are there things you don’t want to be wearing when you stand before God? Being justified means that instead of wearing those things, you can wear the purity and goodness of Jesus. The Bible depicts this as a clean white robe of righteousness. It’s been assigned to you as your inheritance.

Second, he says that we are justified by faith. Not faith in ourselves, not faith in our own intelligence or hard work, not faith in our spouse or our children or in the medical system or the government, but faith in Jesus. He died for us so that we might live free of regret, free of shame, full of confidence in God’s love.

Third, he says that because of this we can have peace with God. How wonderful in times like these to know that you can come to God humbly for mercy and help in time of need, and you don’t have to wonder whether he will welcome you.

I am so thankful to have this inheritance of peace with God. It’s available to you as well. All you have to do is ask.

God bless you.

 

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Brokenness and Wholeness, Eschatology, Intimacy with God, Reflections on Life

My life as an addict

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I admit it.  I am an addict.

I just can’t get enough of HGP. No matter how often I get a taste of it, I always want more.

A couple of weeks ago, I went to the Hard Rock after work on a Friday for drinks with a group of my consultant friends, and I only had two beers. That’s one more than I usually have, but it’s still not much as some people’s Friday night drinking goes. Judging by the stories that were going around the office after the weekend, it would seem that some of my friends kept the bartender busy for quite a few hours that evening. I didn’t stay around to watch, but I’m guessing it was only fun if you were hammered too.

I’m also guessing that some of my friends may find it a little weird that I stopped at two. I mean, the booze was free – our consulting firm paid for everything – so why not indulge?

Why not, indeed? I suppose if all I had to look forward to was a life of no real purpose and gradually-diminished capacities, followed by old age, sickness, and a possibly miserable death, I’d get hammered sometimes too. But as it is, getting drunk has no real appeal. I can enjoy a beer or a glass of wine, but I don’t need to go crazy, because I’ve got better things available to me.

HGP has given me a life of purpose and promise. I am headed for a glorious future, a new age when HGP will fill the earth, the enemies of HGP will be forever banished, and all HGP lovers will be able to have all they want. True, along the way there will be some pain, but that’s a small thing when you are destined for something so incredibly awesome.

But that’s not all.  In the meantime, I can enjoy HGP as often as I want, have a completely clean ride, and wake up without a hangover every time. With HGP, I can still function normally, but colours are brighter, pain is diminished, pleasure is enhanced, and I am happier, more loving, more hopeful, more peaceful. I don’t get sick as often, and I get better faster. And though at this point my body can’t stand the amount of pure, unadulterated HGP that it will be able to handle in the Age to Come, even the amount that I can handle now is wonderful.

Unlike many addictive substances, HGP doesn’t make people violent – it actually makes them more peaceful, happier and productive. In spite of that fact, most Islamic and Communist governments have made HGP illegal.  That’s because once people get addicted to HGP, the government just can’t control them anymore. Even so, in some of those countries, more and more people are getting hooked on HGP. Amazingly, once people are truly hooked on HGP nothing can get them to break the habit – not even prison or the threat of death. It is without a doubt the most powerful addiction known to man.

I have to admit that I do know people who have tried HGP and haven’t found it satisfying. That’s because they only took a small taste – they didn’t really give it a chance. Sadly, what some of these people don’t seem to realize is that with HGP, you can’t sit on the fence. To really appreciate HGP you have to give up your old habits and make HGP a regular part of your life. If you don’t become an HGP lover, you will eventually become an HGP hater. You either become an addict or you eventually become completely allergic and can’t stand HGP at all. It’s completely your choice, but the future for HGP haters isn’t pretty, so you don’t really want to go that route.

On a more positive note, have I told you that HGP is completely free? Truly, it won’t cost you a penny. You can have a lifetime supply for free. It’s all been paid for by JC. If you want to have some, just talk to anyone in JC’s family and they’ll be glad to hook you up. You do need to know, though, that once you truly develop a taste for HGP, you will become part of JC’s family too, and your life will never be the same again. A lot of things that seemed really important to you won’t be all that important anymore, and some of your friends will think you’re a bit weird – that is, until they try HGP too. Once they’ve given HGP a shot, they’ll wonder why they didn’t try it sooner. It really is the greatest thing in the world – it’s what makes life worth living.

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Reflections on Life

So what do you think of me?

One of my all-time favourite cartoons shows a man and woman on their first date, sitting at a table in a restaurant, chatting over coffee.   They are just getting to know each other, and the man has been telling the woman about himself.  Realizing that he’s been going on about himself long enough, he turns to her and says “But enough about me – let’s talk about you.  What do you think of me?”

We laugh, but we’re not so different.  Underneath the veneer of self-assurance, our hearts cry out to know that we are OK, that we are acceptable, that we are highly valued, that we are loved and respected, that others think well of us.  Most people seldom talk about such things, because even admitting our need makes us feel vulnerable, but these longings are deeply imprinted on the human heart.

No-one enters marriage hoping for a stormy, strife-filled marital relationship.  Every engaged couple longs for a great marriage.  Yet it’s easy to see that not all marriages are good ones.   Why is this?  Many factors make marriage a challenge, but I’m convinced that the biggest single factor is the self-preoccupation that is so evident in the cartoon clip described above.  We long for intimacy and trust, yet we ourselves build the walls that keep others out and make true intimacy impossible.

The hunger for acceptance and affirmation is a reflection of how we were made.  From the very beginning we were created for intimacy with God and with one another, but our Enemy has used this hunger against us.  Ever since Adam and Eve took the fruit of the tree of knowledge, our race has been cursed with an inclination to choose independence over surrender.  Satan knows this about us – he knows that there is a chasm separating us from the One who can meet the true need of our hearts – and he is right there, waiting in the shadows to fill the void with a toxic brew of unforgiveness, regrets, bitterness, fear, inferiority, superiority, pride, self-will, anger, and control.  He specializes in drawing perceived or real grievances to our attention and magnifying them in our eyes, so that we feel justified in our self-preoccupation (“Can you believe what he/she did to me?”) , never realizing that we do the exact same thing to others.  In our wounded, deceived condition, we have swallowed the Enemy’s lie that we have to look out for ourselves and can trust no-one. This lie is so deeply embedded in the core of our being that, as Paul says, we can’t help ourselves.   This is why marriages fail – because both partners enter the marriage with wounded and polluted hearts and minds, crying out for love, and looking to their marriage partner to meet a need that can only be met when we surrender our independence and humbly turn to the healer of our souls.

You don’t have to be a Christ-follower to recognize that self-preoccupation is a big problem in human relations.  Not surprisingly, psychological studies (1, 2) suggest a link between self-preoccupation and depression.  I recently came across some reflections on this issue by Jayarava, a Buddhist monk.  As I read his words, I found them quite perceptive.  He notes that the practice of reflection, and life in community, are both of some help in taming the beast of self-preoccupation.  However, he ends his reflections by saying that he is still waiting for real deliverance.  He has found no true freedom because he has only his own resources, and the help of his friends, to call upon.  As valuable as these things are, they are not enough without the power of God.  Religion doesn’t have the power to set us free, our friends don’t have the power to set us free, but Jesus is able to set us free.  That’s because he forever broke the power of self-preoccupation by surrendering himself to the will of the Father so that we could be forgiven and could learn to live in a new way.

God is absolutely passionate in his love for his errant human children, but until we surrender our independence and admit our need, we can’t see his love for what it is.  He desires to demonstrate to each one of us the love that compelled Jesus to give his life for us.  We only really discover freedom when, out of gratitude to the One who has set us free, we are able to ask a different question – not “who can love me”, but “whom can I love”.   When we are able to ask this question, and depend on Jesus for the grace to walk it out, then we are on the way to a satisfying, fruitful life characterized by enduring peace, and a reward that endures for eternity.

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Reflections on Life

Freedom 55?

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A lot of the people I work with have bought into the “Freedom 55” concept as a goal for their lives.  Most of my colleagues are in their mid to late 40s and they are looking forward to being able to retire with some financial security so they can do what they have always wanted to do.  Then, you see, they will be free to live the good life.  Or so the theory goes.

But what exactly is the good life?  Is it really based on achieving financial freedom at 55?  In that case, I guess I missed the boat, because I’m 56 and still working.

The tragedy is that most of the people who want financial freedom have bought into a lie.  The lie has nothing to do with financial planning.   It has to do with the idea that you am truly free when you get to do exactly what you want to do, whatever will make you happy, whatever floats your boat – whether it’s a beautiful cottage by the lake, trips to the Rockies, a condo in Belize, or whatever your personal dream may be.   Simply put, the lie is that it’s all about you (or me).

Don’t get me wrong.  I have nothing against financial freedom.  I have a financial planner – two, in fact – and a financial plan (sort of).   I would love to be financially free and I have taken some steps towards that goal.  I have received some sound business advice for which I am grateful.  But I also recognize that no matter how well I plan, I’m not really in control.   First of all, as the Apostle James pointed out years ago (James 4:13-17) my plan may not work exactly as I hope.  Secondly, even if it does, what ultimate satisfaction will it bring me?

There’s nothing wrong with dreams – we need them.  God put the capacity for desires and longings into our hearts.  But the Devil’s lie from the beginning is that you can only be happy when you are your own God, when you get to call the shots, to make the choices, to have it all your way (Genesis 3:1-7)  The irony is that if we live this way, we may have enjoyment for a short time but in the end it will all be dust and ashes (Luke 12:13-34).  It’s good to enjoy the pleasures of life.  But you can only truly appreciate these pleasures when you realize that your life is not your own, that you belong to God, that you were created to bring Him joy, and that all these pleasures are gifts from His hands.

I have desires and longings too.   I love to ride my bike, to play my guitar, to spend quality time with my wife, my children and my granddaughter.  I enjoy time at the cottage, travelling, camping.  But in the end, if I fill my life with these things in the absence of God, they leave me empty.  That’s because I’ve learned that what I was made for is to seek God’s face, to live in the light of His presence, to sense His nearness, to be involved in seeing people respond to God’s love and come alive in Him, to make an eternal difference in someone else’s life, to see His Kingdom coming on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10).

Freedom 55?  Why not freedom 25 – or 35 – or 95?  True freedom has nothing to do with an age, and not even much to do with finances.  Yes, I want to be financially free because I’d love to have more time to invest in activities that build the Kingdom – but I also recognize that even if I was a multi-millionaire, I wouldn’t necessarily be any more free than I am today.  I am free when I am fully assured of God’s forgiveness and acceptance, fully confident in God’s goodness, fully surrendered to His purposes, fully engaged in His calling on my life.  That’s the kind of freedom I want to seek.

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Basic Principles, Reflections on Life

True freedom

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In our church we’ve heard powerful messages recently about the grace of God that is available to us through Jesus.

Basically what we have been hearing is the same message that the Apostle Paul preached two thousand years ago and that was rediscovered by Martin Luther, John Wesley and others.   It is good news that is always fresh and never grows old – the good news that we don’t have to work hard to earn God’s favour, that we have his acceptance as a free gift, purchased for us by Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.

This is great news for people who have been beating themselves up and always feeling like failures because they can’t seem to “do well enough” as Christ-followers.   It is wonderfully liberating to realize that Jesus has taken the burden of failure from our shoulders and paid the price for every sin we have ever committed or will ever commit.  Because of this amazing fact, we can come into our Father’s presence without fear, confident of His love and acceptance.

I love this emphasis, but I do have a concern.   There were two contrasting errors that plagued the New Testament church.  One error was the tendency to set aside the good news of acceptance by God as a free gift, and go back to Jewish religious rules.  The other error was the tendency to set aside all restraints on behaviour, based on a mistaken understanding of the truth that in Christ we are totally free.   If you read the letters that the New Testament apostles wrote to young churches, you see them having to deal with both problems.

My concern is that in a well-meaning attempt to emphasize the amazing liberty that Jesus has made available for us, we can end up giving the impression that the moment we start to emphasize guidelines for righteous behaviour, we are going back to “law” and that this will automatically put us into bondage.   But that’s not what Paul himself said.   He did warn the Galatians (Gal. 5:2-6) against going back to the religious requirements of Judaism, and told them to hold on to the freedom that Christ had won for them.  But he also took issue with the thinking and behaviour of the Corinthians – a group of Christians coming from a city known for its immorality.  They didn’t seem to realize that although God loves us, he is not pleased when his children indulge themselves in incest, gluttony, drunkenness, and other forms of immorality.  Paul warned them that such behaviour dishonours Christ and then told them “I myself am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law” (1 Cor. 9:21).

So – is there a place for law in the life of grace?  We can’t be saved by law – we can’t be saved by trying to make a list of all God’s requirements and keeping them to the best of our ability.   That is an attempt doomed to failure, and totally ignores the saving work of Christ on the Cross.  But if we have accepted the free gift of Christ, there is a new kind of law – not a written legal code, but the over-ruling power of the Spirit – that draws us to holy living, not as a way to be saved, but as an outcome of our salvation.  And because it takes time for new believers to learn the ways of God, sometimes we still need someone to point out to us that certain types of behaviour do not fit in with our Christian identity.   This isn’t bondage – in fact it is a key to walking in liberty.  True freedom isn’t doing whatever you please, but learning that in Christ you are free to do what pleases God – and that in the end this will make you happier than anything else.

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Apologetics, Reflections on Life

The atheist bus campaign

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Today I left a comment on the Atheist Bus Campaign web site.  For those who haven’t heard of this campaign, it involves placing ads on buses in cities throughout Canada with the slogan “There’s probably no God.  Now stop worrying and enjoy your life”.

I’m not at all distressed by this campaign.  It shouldn’t surprise us in the least if we understand the Bible, because we are clearly told that in the last days there will be an increase in unbelief.  We’re also told that Jesus will return for a glorious Bride.  I believe that we can expect the line between faith and unbelief to become much more visible as the Lord’s return draws near.

I see this campaign as a great opportunity for Christ-followers to consider why we believe and how we can give an intelligent defense of our faith.  Of course, when you try to do this you soon discover that many atheists are not really all that rational or logical in their arguments.  Still, it is a good thing for us to be able to give reasons for the hope that we have.

What arguments would you use if you were trying to get atheists to re-think their position – keeping in mind that our goal is not simply to win a debate, but to speak the truth in love so that some may have their eyes opened and come to know the God who loves them?

If I were having a conversation with an individual atheist who was open to a dialogue, my response would depend on where they were coming from, and what stumbling blocks they were dealing with.  In my comments on the atheist web site, I pointed to the incredible complexity of the creation, which is totally contrary to the entropy principle (the Second Law of Thermodynamics).   Basically this law says that left to itself, everything in the natural world always tends towards more randomness.   We see this in the inevitable process of decay that affects all living things.   But the question for atheists to consider is how the complexity of life could have arisen in the first place.   The idea that life arose spontaneously, by evolutionary processes, is not supported at all by the most elementary logic or probability theory.  By the way, contrary to popular belief, the idea that life arose spontaneously has never been proven by science because it is unprovable – it is simply a faith position.

So what would you say to someone who holds an atheist position, but was open to talking about it?  Don’t be afraid of the dialogue.  Remember, you don’t have to defend God – His existence and His sovereignty aren’t affected one bit by the delusions of those who do not believe.  But for the sake of those who are open and searching, we need to be able to articulate a response.

There are many good resources for those who want to grow in their ability to give reasons to believe.  Personally I have found the web site of Creation Ministries International to be an excellent source of help over the years.   Feel free to post your own favourites in a comment.

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