Why Does It Make Sense to Believe in Christ€¦ · life have given you reason to doubt Christian beliefs? Or what if you believe in Christ but don’t think you could give good answers

WHY DOES ITMAKE SENSE TO BELIEVE IN CHRIST?

WWhat if you don’t come from a Christian

culture? How could it make sense for you even toconsider becoming a follower ofChrist? On the other hand, what if the Christian influences in yourlife have given you reason todoubt Christian beliefs? Or what if you believe in Christ but don’tthink you could give goodanswers if challenged by anonbeliever?

Does faith in Christ makesense only if you want it to? Or is the evidence so strong that itdoesn’t make sense only if youdon’t want it to?

Our Daily Bread managingeditor Kurt De Haan has spentmany hours on college campuseslistening to the questions ofthoughtful skeptics. He haswritten the following pages toprovide answers to those who arelooking for evidence.

Martin R. De Haan IIManaging Editor: David Sper Cover Photo: Glenn Allison/Getty ImagesScripture quotations are from the New King James Version, ©1979, 1980, 1982, ThomasNelson, Inc., PublishersCopyright © 1991, 2002 RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, Michigan Printed in USA

CONTENTSWhat Do You Think?. . . 2

How Can I KnowChristianity Is True?. . . . 5

A Reasonable Explanation . . . . . . . . . . 6

A Reliable Book . . . . . . 11

A Credible Leader . . . . 16

A Powerful Movement . . . . . . . . . . 22

A Personal Experience. . . . . . . . . . 26

It’s Your Choice . . . . . 31

Defining Our Terms. . . 32

© RBC Ministries. All rights reserved.

WHAT DO YOUTHINK?

TThe official-lookingletter announced that I had been selected to

serve as a juror. Severalweeks later, I dutifullywalked into the courtroomand listened as the accusedand the accuser argued thecase. My job as a memberof the jury was to weigh theevidence. What were thefacts? Whom could Ibelieve?

The lawyers used logic, presented physicalevidence, offeredeyewitnesses, and evenmade emotional appeals.Then it was up to thejurors. We filed out to a back room and discussed the case. Because the evidence wasoverwhelmingly one-sided,we quickly reached aunanimous decision. Wewalked into the courtroomand announced the final

verdict. Case closed. If Christianity were put

on trial and you wereappointed a juror, whatwould it take to convinceyou of its truthfulness?Would you look forconvincing logic, thoroughdocumentation, positiveimpact on society, stirringtestimonials? Could averdict be given?

Before you examine thecase, however, you wouldneed to define clearlywhat’s on trial. Otherwiseyou might prejudge it astrue or false based onpersonal impressionsinstead of facts.

When you think ofChristianity, do you think of: • an irrational leap of

faith?• an intellectual or

emotional crutch?• something for “losers”?• superstition?• a bunch of do’s and

don’ts?• a lot of rituals?

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• fanatical, narrow-mindedpeople?

• the high moral teachingsof Jesus?

• one of many ways toknow God?

• the only way to knowGod?Dictionaries simply

define Christianity as thereligion based on theteachings of Jesus Christand the Bible. The NewEncyclopedia Britannicastates, “At the very least,Christianity is the faithtradition that focuses on the figure of Jesus Christ”(Vol.16, p.251). Conciselysaid. But what are the keyelements of that “faithtradition”?

Stripped of culturaladditions, the core ofChristianity includes beliefs about who Jesus was and what He has done.Christianity holds that Jesuswas and is more than aman; He is God in humanflesh. As the Second Person

of the triune God, Hebecame a man, born of avirgin. He lived a perfectlife, taught us how to pleaseGod, died on a cross to takeon Himself the penalty forour sin against God, rose

from the grave, appeared tohundreds of people, andthen ascended to heaven.He did all this so that wemight know God and livefor Him now and with Himforever.

A prominent spokesmanfor Christianity in the firstcentury put it this way:

I declare to you the gospelwhich I preached to you,. . . . that Christ died for

our sins according to theScriptures, and that He

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If Christianity wereput on trial, whatwould it take to

convince you of itstruthfulness?

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was buried, and that Herose again the third day(1 Cor. 15:1,3-4).The Scriptures and

Christ go hand-in-hand.And followers of Christaccept the statements of theBible from Genesis toRevelation. They believe itis more than just acompilation of men’s loftythoughts about God. Theybelieve the Bible to be therecord of God speakingthrough distinct humanpersonalities in a way thatresulted in a document thataccurately speaks for God.

Christianity claimscontinuity with the faith ofthe first man and woman(Adam and Eve), withAbraham and the people ofIsrael who carried on hisfaith, with the disciples ofJesus who saw Him as thefulfillment of Old Testamentprophecies and thesacrificial system, and withmen and women of faithtoday who bow at the feet

of Christ as their onlySavior and only hope offorgiveness of sins, and theOne through whom theycan know God.

What about you? Doyou consider yourself to bea Christian? Do you agreewith the above statementsabout the core ideas ofChristianity? Or do youhave serious doubts aboutwhether it is all true?Perhaps you belong toanother religious faith andyou’re curious about whatChristians believe and why.Or maybe you have had alot of Christian influence inyour life but you nowwonder if what you’ve beentold is really true.

The following pages arefor you, no matter howskeptical or how sure youare. I hope you will readthese pages thoughtfully,search the Bible firsthand tosee what it says, andexamine your beliefs. Youare the jury.

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HOW CAN IKNOWCHRISTIANITY IS TRUE?

HHow do you know ifanything is true?How do you know

that water freezes at 32degrees Fahrenheit? Howdo you know that woollymammoths once trudgedacross our land? How doyou know that cocaine isaddictive? How do youknow that Abraham Lincolnwas born in a log cabin anddied in a theater? How doyou know that NASAastronauts walked on themoon and not on a back lotin Hollywood? How do youknow that Japan’s EmperorHirohito died of cancer in1989? How do you knowthat Julius Caesar ruled theRoman Empire?

In the above examples,the proofs and the methodsof confirmation vary greatly.A scientific experiment in a

lab could confirm throughrepeatable experiments thatwater freezes at 32 degrees.Fossils and frozen remainsare visible evidence thatmammoths tramped around on earth. Physicaland psychological testingconfirms cocaine’s addictive quality.

But when it comes tohistorical information suchas Lincoln’s birthplace andwhere he was shot, manwalking on the moon, and Caesar’s exploits, wecannot perform repeatableexperiments. In those cases we have to rely onhistorical records,eyewitness accounts, and reputable historianswho collected data.

Different types ofsituations require differenttypes of proof. In somecases, scientific experimentsare extremely valuable. In other cases, historicalresearch must be used.

When it comes to testing 5


the claims of competingreligious views of life andGod, several key areas need to be examined. Thefollowing pages take a close look at Christianityaccording to five criteria.We will see if it presents areasonable explanation forlife as we know it. We willexamine the reliability ofthe key Christian book, theBible. We will take a look atthe leader, Jesus Christ.Then we will study theorigin and influence ofChristianity. Finally, we willlook at the effect that faithin Christ has onindividuals.

How did thisbooklet you are

reading get in front of youreyes? Would you believeme if I said that Colby, mypet guinea pig, wrote it?Would you accept the

explanation that the bookletsimply appeared one dayout of thin air and youhappened to pick it up?Would you believe that acreature from Marsdesigned the cover, or thatthe book was printed by atribe of aborigines in a huton the outback of Australia?

Excuse me for gettingridiculous, but I think youget the point. Just as asimple 32-page booklet hasa reasonable explanationfor its existence, so do ourlives, our world, and humanhistory.

Many religions offerexplanations for our human

existence, thecomplexityand order of

the universe, the problem ofevil, our religious nature,the purpose of life, oureternal destiny, and muchmore. Christianity’scontention, however, is that it offers an explanationthat fits life as we know it,

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Reasonable ExplanationReas


human nature as we knowit, and God as He hasrevealed Himself.

Of course, it would takevolumes to discuss thesematters adequately. But atthe risk of soundingsimplistic, here’s a briefsummary of Christianity’sanswers to some of theseissues.

Where did wecome from? The Bibletells us that an intelligent,powerful, personal Beingwas actively involved increating the universe. Does that fit life as weknow it? Does life showdesign and order? Doeshuman personality reflect a higher Personality?

The naturalisticexplanation declares thattime plus chance producedthe complexity of theuniverse. But does thatprovide adequate answers?Even generous estimates ofthe earth’s age do notinclude enough time for life

to evolve. Too many thingshad to happen in tooprecise a manner. Althoughmany scientists proposenaturalistic evolution, theydo so because of theirassumption that nosupernatural being wasinvolved.

Eastern religions lumppeople, animals, and plantsinto the same category—created by an impersonalgod-force that pervades theuniverse—and minimize thegreat differences betweenthem. Christianity, however,tells us that human beingsare similar yet very differentfrom the animals. Peoplepossess personality, self-consciousness, a spirit, andthe ability to relate to Godon a personal level. Humanbeings are qualitativelydifferent from animals,plants, and rocks.

Where did evilcome from? Somereligious faiths describe atype of god who possesses

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both good and evilelements. Otherexplanations have good and evil gods pittedagainst each other—withthe outcome in doubt. Stillother religions deal with evilby denying its reality; theysay that evil is only anillusion.

Christianity, however,sees evil as an intruder in agood God’s good creation.Evil came into the worldthrough Adam and Eve’swilling choice to rebelagainst God. They had thatoption because God wantedthem to freely love Him—not because they wereforced to love Him (Gen. 3).

According to Christianity,the choice for evil had a far-reaching and devastatingimpact on our relationshipwith God, our relationshipwith each other, and ourrelationship to the world.Instead of close fellowshipwith God, there has beenestrangement. Instead of

harmony between people,there has been self-centeredness, conflict, and heartache. Instead of humanity working inharmony with nature, wehave exploited our world.It’s only by returning to aright relationship with Godthat our lives can reversethe effects of evil.

Christianity also offersan explanation for whatGod is doing about theproblem of evil. Jesus Christis central to the solution.The Bible tells us that Jesus

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“I believe inChristianity as

I believe the sunhas risen, not onlybecause I see it,

but because by it I see

everything else.” —C. S. Lewis

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came to bridge the gapbetween a perfect God andimperfect people stained byevil (2 Cor. 5:19). God hasnot been sitting idly bywhile humanity goes frombad to worse. Jesus cameinto a world of sufferingand evil to suffer and diefor us. He came to free usfrom our personal bondageto evil, and to ensure thatone day all evil will faceGod’s perfect justice.

Why do peopleseek religiousanswers? Our heart has a void that cries to be filled.Christians believe thatbecause mankind wascreated to know and relateto the Creator, people willnever be complete withoutHim.

So why doesn’t everyoneturn to the God of theBible? Why do people turnto other gods instead? Partof the answer is that eversince Adam and Eve choseto go their own way instead

of obeying God, peoplehave continued to chooseto run their own lives (Rom. 1). People havecreated their own gods—deities that they canmanipulate through magicor appease through ritualsor self-sacrifice.

And Christianityincludes another reasonthat so many religionsexist—a spirit-being namedSatan who is more thanhappy to offer substitutereligions. He is called thefather of lies (Jn. 8:44), theone who has blinded theminds of people to thetruth (2 Cor. 4:4). He

offers counterfeit spiritualexperiences to those whochoose false gods.

What is thepurpose of life?Christians believe thatbecause man has lost hisanchor in God, he has lost his sense of purpose.The author of the OldTestament book of

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Ecclesiastes described thedifferent ways that peopletry to find happiness. Hewas an expert on the topicbecause he had tried themall. That person was KingSolomon, a man known forhis wisdom, but who hadtried many dead-endpursuits in life. He soughtfulfillment througheducation, but all hislearning left him empty. Hesought pleasure throughfood, wine, sex, music, and things of beauty, butagain he never got beyondsuperficial happiness. Hetried finding the joy of lifethrough hard work andmaterialism, but he realizedthey could not fill the voidin his heart. Solomon filledhis palace with 700 wivesand 300 concubines, butthey could not replace theLord. Solomon concludedthat a life that does not center around arelationship with God is empty.

Does it soundlogical to you? IsChristianity a reasonableexplanation for the realitiesof life? Faith in Christ offersrelief from the universalproblem of sin and guilt.Jesus Christ offers to fill theGod-shaped void in ourhearts with Himself.Christianity offers a basisfor values and morality, andfor knowing right fromwrong. The biblical view ofhuman history describesthe moral deterioration ofsociety (while allowing formuch good), and theeventual return of Jesus toexecute justice on the livingand the dead.

But even the best-sounding and mostreasonable humanexplanation is foolishness ifit lacks a basis in spiritualreality. Christianity standsor falls on the credibility ofits holy Book (the Bible), itsleader (Jesus Christ), itscommunity (the church),

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and its practicality (as seenin the lives of individualbelievers). The next severalpages will explore theseissues.

(For more informationon the biblical descriptionof life’s origin and purpose,ask for the RBC booklets:How Can I Know There’s AGod? and Why In TheWorld Am I Here?).

Supermarkettabloids do not have aglowing reputation for beingreliable sources of factualinformation. For example, I remember seeing theheadline: AMELIAEARHART FOUND ALIVE!The truth, of course, is thatAmelia attempted a soloplane crossing of the Pacificin 1937 but disappeared.She was lost at sea andpresumed dead. The

tabloid’s story was probablyinteresting to read, but wasit true? Highly unlikely.

What about the dailynewspaper? Much morecredible perhaps, but notinfallible. What is printedone day may be (andsometimes is) corrected orretracted the next.

How can we testthe reliability of the

Bible? Whatkinds of criteriacan we use to

evaluate whether it’s true?After all, if the Bible is notreliable, then how do weknow what to believe aboutwhat Christ said or did?

The science ofarchaeology can give us alot of valuable evidence,which will either confirm or contradict the biblicalrecord. One hundred yearsago, many Bible critics weretrying to dismiss much of its history as the work ofcreative storytellers. But inthis century, archaeological

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Reliable BookRea


finds have overwhelminglysupported the biblical data.

One case ofarchaeological evidence is a recent study of ancientJericho, which concludedthat the walls did tumbledown as the Bible indicates.Archaeologist Bryant G.Wood of the University ofToronto said, “When wecompare the archaeologicalevidence at Jericho with thebiblical narrative describingthe Israelite destruction ofJericho, we find remarkableagreement” (BiblicalArchaeological Review,March/April 1990).

Sir William Ramsay, anoted archaeologist, wasonce skeptical of the NewTestament book of Acts. He set out to prove theinaccuracy of the book butinstead came away as anardent believer in its greathistorical value. Ramsayconcluded, “Luke is ahistorian of the first rank;not merely are his

statements of facttrustworthy; he is possessedof the true historic sense . . . . In short, this authorshould be placed along with the very greatest ofhistorians” (The Bearing OfRecent Discovery On TheTrustworthiness Of The NewTestament, p.222).

This perception matcheswhat Luke himself saidabout his methods. In theintroduction to his record ofthe life of Jesus (Lk. 1:1-4),the author mentions hisreliance on eyewitnesstestimony and his concernto present “an orderlyaccount.”

When were theGospels written? It wasonce popular to assign theGospels to the secondcentury and charge thatthey were later compilationsof oral tradition. Thus theywere considered historicallyunreliable. But carefulscholarship has pointed toearly dates for the writing of

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the entire New Testament.Because of

archaeological evidenceand manuscript discoveries,we now have good reasonto believe that most of the New Testament wascompleted between AD 47and AD 70, and that all of itwas completed by AD 95.

An example of amanuscript find that hasaffected dating of the NewTestament is the RylandsFragment. This portion ofJohn 18 was found in Egyptand has been dated about

AD 125. This find supportsthe view that the last gospelto be written had alreadybeen in circulation formany years.

Have biblicalprophecies cometrue? Christians say yes!The RBC booklet Can IReally Trust The Bible?states, “Some of the mostdramatic examples offulfilled Bible prophecy arethose concerning JesusChrist. Isaiah 52:13 through53:12 and Psalm 22, forinstance, record specificdetails about death bycrucifixion hundreds ofyears before this terribleform of execution was everpracticed. . . . Anotherexample of fulfilledprophecy was thedestruction of the city of Tyre. Hundreds of years earlier, Ezekiel hadpredicted that the citywould be destroyed and the ruins scraped off anddumped into the sea, never

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“It is my seriousconclusion that wehave here in theNew Testament,words that bearthe hallmark of

reality and the ringof truth.”

—J. B. Phillips

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to be rebuilt (Ezek. 26). It happened exactly aspredicted. . . . Thepredictions of the judgmentof God against Nineveh(Nah. 1–3), Ammon andMoab (Jer. 48–49), Babylon(Isa. 13–14; Jer. 51), andEdom (Isa. 34; Jer. 49;Ezek. 25,35) were allfulfilled” (pp.22-24).

Does the Bible holdtogether? That is, does acollection of writings by 40different authors from manydifferent backgrounds and occupations, overabout 1,600 years, in three different languages,and written on differentcontinents, have aconsistent message? Or is it a confusing jumbleof ideas?

From start to finish, theBible tells how God hasbeen working out His planto rescue people from thepenalty and power of sin.He revealed Himself to thepatriarchs, then to the

nation of Israel. He workedout His plan in Christ, inHis disciples, and in theearly church. And the last book in the Bible,Revelation, tells how Godwill complete His plan.From the symbolicsacrificial system of the Old Testament to the reality of Christ’s sacrifice of Himself on the cross,from the first chapters tothe last, God is consistentlydescribed. This incredibleunity points to the Bible’ssupernatural origin.

Why is the Bible so consistent andreliable? For the answerto that question, let’s lookat the Bible itself. Peterwrote, “Prophecy nevercame by the will of man,but holy men of God spokeas they were moved by theHoly Spirit” (2 Pet. 1:21).And to Timothy, Paul said,“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God” (2 Tim. 3:16).

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According to the Bibleitself, therefore, it is not acompilation of men’s ideasbut God’s. Even though God used men and theirindividual personalities toreveal His truth, the Bibleprofesses to have but oneauthor—God. That is whythe Bible is so consistent andreliable from start to finish.

How do we knowwe have the Bible asit was originallywritten? Can we be surethat the book we read todayhas been passed alongwithout tampering byspecial-interest groups, orwithout serious mistakes incopying? Textual scholarssay that we can be sure wehave a reliable copy.

The 1947 discovery ofthe Dead Sea scrolls (somedating back to before the time of Christ) gavedramatic evidence that theOld Testament has beenmeticulously and accuratelycopied for centuries. And

regarding the NewTestament, Sir FredericKenyon, an authority in the field of textual criticism, stated:

The number ofmanuscripts of the New Testament, of earlytranslations from it, andof quotations from it inthe oldest writers of thechurch, is so large that itis practically certain thatthe true reading of everydoubtful passage ispreserved in some one or other of these ancientauthorities. This can besaid of no other ancientbook in the world (OurBible And The AncientManuscripts, p.23).How have people and

society been affected by theBible? No other book hascome close to making theimpact that the Scriptureshave. This number onebestseller for years hasbeen looked to forguidance, comfort,

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challenge, judicial equity,and wisdom. Its principlesare timeless. Even thosewho don’t want to believeits supernatural elementsrecognize it as greatliterature. The Bible’s powerhas been recognized bytyrannical rulers, whobanned it and sought todestroy every copy. Yet theBible continues to pervadeour world, in hundreds oflanguages, in nearly everysociety.

(For more on the Bible’sreliability, ask for the RBCbooklet Can I Really TrustThe Bible?)

In 1977,a self-proclaimed messiahand leader of the People’sTemple in San Franciscoled his loyal followers from

California to a junglesettlement in Guyana,South America. On

November 18, 1978, Jim Jones ordered all thepeople who lived on hiscommune to drink cyanide-laced punch. That day 913people died, including 276children.

Why do people followleaders like Jones? Howcould they have known thattheir personable leader wasmentally unstable—a wolfin sheep’s clothing? For thatmatter, of all the world’sreligious leaders, how dowe know whom to follow?Do Christians have anylegitimate basis for sayingthat Jesus Christ has more

to offer thanMuhammad,Maharishi

Mahesh Yogi, or SunMyung Moon? How can weknow that Jesus told us thetruth about God?

What do people sayabout Jesus? Most people,even if they are not willingto acknowledge Him as theSon of God, would say that

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Credible LeaderCred


Jesus was a great moralteacher. Mohandas Gandhi(1869-1948), for example, aHindu and the father ofmodern India, wrote:

I could accept Jesus as amartyr, an embodimentof sacrifice, and a divineteacher, but not as themost perfect man everborn. His death on the cross was a greatexample to the world, but that there was anything like a mysterious ormiraculous virtue in it, my heart could notaccept (Gandhi: AnAutobiography, p.113).The heart of Jesus’

message, however, was Hisclaim to be the Son of Godwho took on human flesh tobe our Savior. John WarwickMontgomery writes:

The earliest records we have of the life andministry of Jesus give theoverwhelming impressionthat this man went

around not so much“doing good” but makinga decided nuisance ofHimself. . . . Jesusalienated Hiscontemporaries bycontinually forcing them to think throughtheir attitude to Himpersonally. “Who do mensay that I the Son of manam? . . . Who do you saythat I am?” (History &Christianity, p.12).When Jesus asked His

disciples, “Who do thecrowds say that I am?” they answered, “John theBaptist, but some sayElijah; and others say thatone of the old prophets hasrisen again.” When He thenasked for their opinion,Peter spoke up and said,“The Christ of God.” (SeeLk. 9:18-20.)

Peter’s statement wasremarkable in light of theJews’ prevailing hope for aMessiah who would throwoff Roman rule and

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reestablish the greatness ofIsrael. The people were notexpecting a meek andhumble man who was moreconcerned with rescuingsinners than restoring astate.

Jesus drew followers,however, with what He saidand did. Matthew said that“the people were astonishedat His teaching, for Hetaught them as one havingauthority” (7:28-29). TheBible also tells us that Jesusperformed many miracles.These included healings,controlling nature, andraising people from thedead. Christ’s followerspoint to these remarkabledemonstrations of power assupport of His claims to bethe Son of God.

Why did Jesus die?Was He simply a martyr?Was He misunderstood?Was it a case of mistakenidentity? Was He suicidal?Did He orchestrate His owndeath? Could He have

accomplished more if Hehad lived to a ripe old ageand died naturally?

Jesus’ biographers tell us the reasons behind Hisexecution. Matthewrecorded that Jesus said,

“The Son of Man did notcome to be served, but toserve, and to give His life aransom for many” (20:28).His life was given as asacrifice for us. Such asacrifice was neededbecause all people havesinned, broken God’s moral

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“I could nevermyself believe in

God, if it were notfor the cross. . . . In

the real world ofpain, how could

one worship a Godwho was immune

to it?” —John Stott

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laws in action and inthought (Rom. 3:23; 5:12).And because God is holyand just, He cannot ignoreour sin. But God steppedinto history to rescue usfrom certain judgment.Jesus, God’s Son, becamehuman so that He could, as the God-man, take thepenalty for our sin (Heb.10:10). He did for us whatwe could not do forourselves (Rom. 5:6-11;Eph. 2:8-9). This may behard to understand, but it’swhat Jesus and His followersclaimed He was doing.

Some people respond to all this by saying,“Interesting claims—buthow do you know it’s true?How do you know that thedeath of Jesus on a Romancross really made ourrescue from sin possible?”For the answer, we mustexamine the resurrection ofChrist.

Did Jesus rise fromthe dead? The apostle

Paul summed up theimportance of theresurrection in 1 Corinthians 15. He said:

If Christ is not risen, yourfaith is futile; you are stillin your sins! . . . If in thislife only we have hope inChrist, we are of all menthe most pitiable(vv.17,19).Obviously, however, Paul

believed that Jesus did risefrom the dead. In fact, hementioned that hundreds ofpeople saw the risen Christ.He wrote:

He was seen by Cephas,then by the twelve. Afterthat He was seen by overfive hundred brethren atonce . . . . After that Hewas seen by James, thenby all the apostles. Thenlast of all He was seen by me also, as by oneborn out of due time (1 Cor. 15:5-8).The Gospel accounts tell

us of the shocked responseof Jesus’ followers—even

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though He had told themahead of time that Hewould die and beresurrected. The reaction ofone disciple in particular isworth special mention. AfterJesus rose from the tomband appeared to the otherdisciples, they told Thomas,but he didn’t believe it. Hesaid to them:

Unless I see in His handsthe print of the nails, andput my finger into theprint of the nails, and putmy hand into His side, Iwill not believe (Jn. 20:25).A week later, Thomas

was with the disciples whenJesus came into the room.He turned to Thomas andencouraged him to touchHim. He said, “Do not beunbelieving, but believing.”To that, Thomas replied,“My Lord and my God!”(20:27-28).

One very importantevidence for theresurrection is the emptytomb. The enemies of

Christ could not produce abody to silence the claims.And it wouldn’t have made any sense for Christ’sfollowers to steal the bodyand then devote their livesto proclaiming a risenLord—even if they couldhave gotten past the Romanguards!

The dramatic change inthe disciples from hiding toboldly proclaiming Christ asa risen Savior, even dyingfor their convictions, has no other reasonableexplanation than that theyhad seen the risen Christ.

What are ourchoices? Who was Jesus?If you don’t accept Him asthe truth, you mustconclude that He was aphony, a madman, or thatHis disciples started thegreatest hoax on earth.

Could He have been adeceitful phony? Could Hehave been merely trying togain a following for someunknown reason? Think

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about it. If He was, Hecertainly wasn’t verysuccessful—if you gaugesuccess by power orfinancial gain. He turnedmany away by His highstandards, and Hisunwillingness to overlook hypocrisy andhalfheartedness. He didn’tpreach a popular messageor promise instant fame andfortune. And He certainlywasn’t tricking people to gettheir money. The evidencedoes not support thepossibility that He was acharlatan.

Could He have been amadman? Self-deceived?Sincere but deluded aboutHis own identity? His wordsand actions do not reflectthe behavior of a personwho is mentally unstable.Such a charge against Himdoes not explain themiracles, the brilliance ofHis teaching, nor Hisresurrection.

Could the disciples have

been guilty of painting apicture of Jesus that was farbigger than life? It doesn’tmake sense that all thedisciples would conspire tocreate a monstrous lie thatwould contradict what theyknew to be true. Would youdie for what you knew wasa lie? The disciples wouldn’thave either, yet most ofthem died as martyrs.

We have good reason to believe that the Biblepresents an accurate picture of Jesus Christ. Hisfulfillment of prophecy, Hisimpact on history, His lifeand teachings, and theresponse of His disciples allpoint to a conclusion thatHe was and is all that Heclaimed to be—the Son ofGod.

(For more informationabout Jesus, ask for theRBC booklets: Who Is ThisMan Who Says He’s God?Why Did Christ Have ToDie? and Did Christ ReallyRise From The Dead?)

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The BerlinWall came down in 1989.Its demolition was hailed asbeing symbolic of thefailure of communism andthe strength of a movementtoward economic and socialreforms. The movementagainst the repressivepolitical system sweptthrough Eastern Europe. In Romania, for example,the army joined the peoplein overthrowing a crueldictatorship. Citizens spokeand acted powerfully.

Christianity is not apolitical or economicsystem, yet it hasprofoundly affected allsegments of society. Fromits tiny beginnings inJerusalem, it has sweptthroughout the world.Christianity continues to bea major movement today.

Why is that? Why did

Christianityhave such anexplosive

beginning, and why did itsweep like a tidal waveacross the earth? Why werethe first disciples so bold?Why were people willing to die for their beliefs? Why has this faith affectedpresent-day life so much?Let’s examine these issues.

Where didChristianity comefrom? It was not a totallynew movement. It didn’t justpop up out of a vast void. Itsroots penetrate deep intoOld Testament history.

Christians see theirbeliefs extending as far backas the first man and woman,and continuing with thegreat men of faith in theearly chapters of Genesisand with the Old Testamentpeople of Israel. Jesus cameto solve the problem createdby Adam and Eve. He cameto fulfill the propheticsymbolism of Old Testament

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Powerful MovementPow


sacrifices. He came to offerforgiveness for our failure to measure up to God’scommandments. He came to fulfill the prophecies of acoming Messiah who wouldtake care of mankind’s sinand usher in the kingdom ofGod. Jesus Himself spoke offulfilling the Old Testamentlaw and prophets (Mt. 5:17).

The apostle Paul spokeeloquently of this continuitybetween Old TestamentIsrael and the NewTestament church, as did the author of the letter to the Hebrews. But they also saw that with Christcame a dramatic shift. Jesusestablished the church, inwhich both Jew and non-Jewwere united by their faith inJesus the Savior-Messiah.

What does thechurch’s existence tellus about the truth ofChristianity? The churchwould not have begun ifChrist were not credible. So much hinged on the

resurrection that if He had not really risen, thedisciples would havewalked away from it all. Their leader would have been a majordisappointment. If He could not keep His word on the matter of Hisresurrection, then nothingHe said about God couldbe trusted.

The church began onlybecause the first followersof Christ believed theirFounder was all He claimedto be. His early discipleswould not have died forwhat they knew to be a lie.And they were too fearfuland skeptical before theysaw the risen Christ toconcoct some crazy story

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The church wouldnot have begun if Christ were not credible.

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about a resurrection.The church’s continued

existence down through thecenturies serves to confirmJesus’ promise that nothingcould destroy it (Mt. 16:18).The church’s growthdemonstrates reality, power,and believability. Thechurch’s indestructibilitydemonstrates the deepconvictions of its followersand the power of God topreserve His church evenwhen spiritual oppositionattempts to overthrow it.

How has the churchfulfilled its purpose for existing? Has theworld benefited from it?Admittedly, individuals andsegments within the churchhave not always followed orsought to fulfill the ideals ofChrist. Such phony andhypocritical Christians arean embarrassment to thecause of Christ. Yet eventhe existence of hypocritesand self-serving professingChristians stand in stark

contrast to the real thing—believers with heartfeltdevotion to Christ and Hiscommands. Loyal followersof Christ have made atremendous positive impacton our world.

Kenneth ScottLatourette, a historian atYale University, wrote:

Across the centuriesChristianity has been themeans of reducing morelanguages to writing thanhave all other factorscombined. It has createdmore schools, moretheories of education,and more systems thanhas any other one force.More than any otherpower in history, it hasimpelled men to fightsuffering . . . . It has built

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Loyal followers ofChrist have made atremendous impact

on our world.

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thousands of hospitals,inspired the emergenceof nursing and medicalprofessions, andfurthered movements forpublic health and therelief and prevention offamine. . . . Wars haveoften been waged in thename of Christianity. . . .Yet from no other sourcehave there come asmany and as strongmovements to eliminateor regulate war and toease the sufferingbrought by war. . . . The list might go on indefinitely. Itincludes many otherhumanitarian projectsand movements, idealsin government, thereform of prisons and the emergence ofcriminology, great art and architecture, andoutstanding literature” (A History Of Christianity,Vol. II, pp.1470,1471).

Another author added:

The obvious contributionsof Christianity are onlythe tip of the iceberg. The real miracles are less visible but morewidespread: the work offorgiveness and renewalthat God does in hearts, families, andcommunities in countlessunknown places andunremembered times.Renewal is possiblebecause Christiansbelieve God has startedsomething in history that He will carry toconclusion, a mightyclimax that will settle all debts and right allinjustices (WilliamDyrness, ChristianApologetics In A WorldCommunity, p.82).The powerful movement

that has been labeledChristianity has profoundlychanged human history.Such a movement points to the credibility of theChristian message.

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Experience, all by itself, doesn’t proveanything. A warm feeling inyour heart, an ecstaticsensation, or a deep sense of peace and joy are notconclusive evidence. That isone reason this section islast. People from variousreligious groups claim tohave significant experiences.Any experience, however,must be confirmed by othersupporting data. But that isnot to say that experience is unimportant. It’s crucialwhen testing the truthfulnessof the claims of any religiousfaith. What you believeshould have confirmation inwhat you experience in life.

What good is a faith thatdoesn’t make a difference inyour life, a religion thatdoesn’t work in everydaysituations? What good arebeliefs that sound right in

theory butdon’t work inpractice?

What good are beliefs thatleave you feeling empty,joyless, anxious, unchangedin thinking and action?

What is the basis ofChristian experience?Jesus spoke of being “bornagain,” but what does thatmean? Does a person whochooses to put his trust inChrist feel and act like anew person? Are all hisproblems solved? Does he become perfect?

In John 3, Jesus talkedabout this issue with areligious leader by thename of Nicodemus. This man knew his OldTestament, and he hadheard a lot about whatJesus was saying and doing.Out of curiosity, he visitedJesus one night. Jesus toldNicodemus, “Unless one isborn again, he cannot seethe kingdom of God” (v.3).

Nicodemus was 26

Personal ExperiencePer


understandably puzzled by Christ’s remark. Hewondered aloud if beingborn again meant anotherphysical birth, a sort ofreincarnation. Jesusexplained that He wasn’ttalking about a physicalbody but about beingspiritually renewed by theSpirit of God. Man’sproblem is that he isspiritually dead, separated

from God, because of sinfulrebellion against God. Aperson who does not acceptChrist’s claims is on “deathrow” awaiting God’s justice.(See Jn. 3:4-21.)

What every person needsis the forgiveness and newspiritual life that Jesus made

possible through His lifeand His death on the cross.Spiritual rebirth occurswhen a person expressesheartfelt belief, trust,reliance on Christ as Saviorand Lord (Jn. 3:16-18).

What changesoccur when a personbelieves in Christ?According to Paul in2 Corinthians 5:17:

If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; oldthings have passed away;behold, all things have become new.

A believer in Christexperiences a radicaltransformation at the very core of his being.

This transformation ofspirit does not mean that aChristian suddenly becomesperfect in everyday life, orthat he will never have anymore problems. What itdoes mean is that whenGod looks at him, He seesa forgiven child of God whowill one day be like Christ.

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“Christianity fails if it is not

applicable to life on this earth.”

—Josh McDowell

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The many books andletters of the New Testamentcontain challenges toChristians to live out theirfaith. Christianity was neverintended to be merely a “fireescape” from hell. Byreaching out to Christ, weare rescued from the coming judgment. But being born again is only thebeginning of a whole newlife. Children of God are togrow up into mature menand women of faith. Thatprocess is often difficult,costly, and unrewarding bythis world’s standards.

At the very least, then,Christian experience has atits foundation a life-changing, personalencounter with Godthrough Christ. It involves arecognition that we need aSavior, acceptance of God’sgift of forgiveness (Eph. 2:8-9), and active trust in Christalone as our only hope ofbeing right with God nowand living with Him forever.

How did the early believersexperience the truthof Christianity? TheNew Testament tells aboutpeople whose lives weretransformed by theirrelationship with Christ.Here are just a few of themore prominent examples:• Zacchaeus, the tax

collector (Lk. 19:1-10)• Nicodemus, a religious

leader (Jn. 3; 19:39)• an immoral woman (Jn. 4)• a blind man (Jn. 9)• the 12 disciples• 3,000 people in one day

(Acts 2:41)• an Ethiopian official

(Acts 8:26-40)• Saul of Tarsus (Acts 9)• Cornelius (Acts 10)• the Philippian jailer (Acts

16:25-35)• several citizens of Rome

(Rom. 1:8)• idolaters, sexual

perverts, thieves, drunks, slanderers, andswindlers (1 Cor. 6:9-11)

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• Onesimus, a runawayslave (Philemon)Is Christ still

changing lives? Since thetime Christ walked on thisearth, millions of peoplehave testified to the life-changing reality ofChristianity. As we sawearlier, such experiences donot prove truth, but theycertainly are strong support.

For many years, PaulLittle was a spokesman forChristianity on collegecampuses in the U.S. andin many other countries. Hewrote about the place ofexperience in his own life.He said:

Occasionally I askmyself, as I walk downthe street, ‘Little, how doyou know you haven’tbeen taken in by acolossal propagandaprogram? After all, youcan’t see God, touchHim, taste Him, or feelHim.’ And then I go onto ask myself how I

know the gospel is true. I always come back totwo basic factors: theobjective, external,historical facts of theresurrection, and thesubjective, internal,personal experience ofChrist that I have known(Know Why You Believe,p.29).Christians like Paul Little

speak of the peace andfulfillment they sense whenthey have put their trust inChrist. They talk of the innerwitness of the Holy Spirit ofGod, a subjective sense ofthe presence of the Spiritwithin (Rom. 8:16; 2 Cor.1:21-22; 5:5; 1 Jn. 3:24; 5:8-10). The common testimonyof believer after believerpoints to the reality of whatthey are talking about.

What kind of Christianexperience speaksmost powerfully tononbelievers? In John13:35, Jesus said:

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By this all will know that you are My disciples,if you have love for oneanother.And in John 17:21, He

stated:That they also may beone in Us, that the worldmay believe that You sent Me.These verses point to the

importance of Christiansshowing love and unity.

If Christians areunloving, uncompassionate,selfish, argumentative, anddivided, they contradict theLord they say they serve.Nonbelievers won’t beconvinced of Christianity’sclaim to truth.

Apologist FrancisSchaeffer wrote:

In John 13, the pointwas that if an individualChristian does not showlove toward other trueChristians, the world hasa right to judge that he isnot a Christian. [In John17] Jesus is stating

something else which ismuch more cutting,much more profound:We cannot expect theworld to believe that theFather sent the Son, thatJesus’ claims are true,and that Christianity istrue, unless the worldsees some reality of theoneness of trueChristians (The ChurchAt The End Of TheTwentieth Century,pp.138-139).What about you?

Have you experienced whatChrist can do for you? Readthe next page for more onhow you can know Him asyour Savior and Lord.

(For more informationon a personal relationshipwith Jesus Christ, ask forthe RBC booklets: What IsA Personal RelationshipWith God? and Do I HaveThe Right Kind Of Faith?)

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IT’S YOURCHOICE

NNo one can makeyou believe. Thechoice is yours and

yours alone. Your parentscan’t decide for you, norcan your closest friends. A church leader or anevangelist is powerless tocoerce a decision that mustcome from deep within yourheart.

Belief in Jesus is more than just mentallyacknowledging the truththat He is the Savior, theSon of God who was bornof a virgin, lived a sinlesslife, died as a sacrifice forour sins, and rosetriumphantly from thegrave. Belief involvesentrusting our souls andlives to Jesus Christ. Thathappens when we acceptGod’s free gift of salvation(Eph. 2:8-9). To receive it,we must tell Him we needand want His forgiveness

and the new spiritual lifeHe offers.

Take the step of faith—a step based on goodreason—and tell God thatyou believe in His Son. TellHim that you want thesalvation He offers, andthat you now acknowledgeHim as Savior and Lord.

If you want to know moreabout the person namedJesus, find a Bible and readone of the New TestamentGospel accounts of His life(such as the Gospel ofJohn). See for yourself whatit says about Him—whatpeople thought of Him, whoHe claimed to be, what Hedid on earth, and what Hecan do for you.

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Belief in Jesus ismore than justacknowledging the truth that

He is the Savior.

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DEFINING OUR TERMSArchaeology: the study of ancient remains to learnabout past history.Bible: the collection ofwritings (from Genesis toRevelation) that isconsidered to be the wordsof God written down bymen of His choosing.Church: the sum of allbelievers in Christ, as well as a local group ofbelievers.Christians: people whorecognize Jesus as the Son ofGod and Savior, who placetheir only hope of salvationon Christ’s sacrificial death,and who trust Him to live His resurrected lifethrough them.Christianity: the system ofbeliefs based on the wordsand works of Jesus Christ.Faith: an expression oftrust in a person or object.Gospel: the basic truthsabout Jesus and salvation.

Historical Proof:testimonies and documentsthat give a basis forconclusion.Israel: the descendants ofAbraham; also, the nationwhich is made up of hisdescendants.Jesus: the Second Personof the triune God whobecame human in order to reveal God to mankindand provide a basis forforgiveness of sin.Resurrection: the act ofreturning to life after death;the rising of Jesus from thedead.Salvation: rescue fromGod’s judgment.Scientific Method: theprocess of studying thenatural world and comingto conclusions based onrepeatable experimentation.Sin: disobedience,violation of God’s morallaws.Truth: that whichcorresponds to reality; facts.

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