Growthtrac Community

[New Life]

I was recently asked these questions about God.
Being a new Christian I had know idea how to answer.

*"If Jesus is God,perfect and incapable of sinning then why do Christians make such a big deal about the fact that He lived a sinless life hear on earth." "If He was still fully God while fully man then 'not sinning'
wasn't much of a challenge was it?" (It seemed like a legitimate question to me and I had no idea what to say.)

*I was asked, "How can you be so simple minded as to believe that the bible is actually words spoken right from God? "
Then the statement was made that, " Any educated person knows that the bible was written by men who simply thought themselves 'Godly'."

I tried to respond to this by saying that though the bible was written on 'paper' by 'men' that every word written was given by God directly.
Response: "Oh really, exactly how do you know that?"
Sadly, I DON'T KNOW ! I've just heard it.

*"If Jesus is truly God then He could never have fallen to temptation
thus he can't 'really' understand what temptation is like ,like He says He does, which makes Him a basically good man but a liar."

Help!

*"What possible significance could a book, totally out dated, written thousands of years ago, hold for me? Anyone with common sense doesn't
read it anyway".

My lame attempt at an answer was, " The bible is Gods 'road map' for those who are seeking Him and trying to live for Him. He lets us know how to find a relationship with Him and then how He wants us to live through the bible." Response:"Nothing but a primary(elementary) level answer."

I also stated that on the contrary, the bible has remained number one on the best sellers list, so apparently quite a few people read it.

I didn't get a response, only a distasteful look. (I'm fearing that my answer was a mistake.)

Do you have a better one?

There were other questions to which I equally have no intelligent, Godly answer for but I'll start with these.

How should I have answered these?

[Davep]

The Bible is the inspired Word of God. Each Word was not spoken to the writers. That's where you'll get into trouble as you attempt to give a man-made answer. Most of what we do is parrot explanations handed to us or heard from others. Also the new testament writing where considered inspired simply because they were written by or for the Apostles; and therefore are considered Holy.

On the issue is Jesus living without sin, the non-believer has to be told what sin means to God. Without understanding sin and God's problem with sin, the non-beliver cannot appreciate why Jesus would have to be sinless.

Remember in someone is looking to debate or learn.


Jesus was subjected to temptation. He never fell into temptation, nor was he a victim of temptation.

If the Bible is a fairy tail, and Jesus was some local character. Then why has he made such a impact . . . . for so long?

[webacus]

Exactly. Is this person really interested in getting answers, or is she just spinning your wheels?

Before spending too much time developing the "correct" responses, I would ask that person if she's serious about getting some answers. If she is serious, then offer to do some research (admit you don't have immediate answers) and offer to provide resources.

Most important, maintain the relationship and keep the dialog going. Try to tolerate the cynicism and anger and just "be there". You might be the only Christian friend she has.

By the way: you made some good responses.

[SAM]

Even with being a new believer or an older one, you will never have all of the answers. I imagine neither does the person asking all these questions..

I concur with Dave and some of his explanations he has given you. But, there is something to consider in the person throwing all of these arrows at you.

I would ask them, do you honestly want to know the answers? If you do, I will do the research and we can sit down together and work this through. If you want to continue throwing arrows and really don't want answers, then let me know.

The bible stands up against any other ancient writing. There are more than 25,000 original manuscripts of the bible. When you mentioned it still is on the best seller list, the individual really did not have a comeback did they? The bible stands up archeologically, historically and geographically. And Christianity simply falls on one person, Jesus Christ.
You can ask the individual, who do you believe Christ is? Often you will get the response of a good teacher or a prophet, but not the Son of God.
He is the only religious leader who ever came back from death. No one else that I've ever read about has done that.

You can ask this person if they have read the Bible themselves and give them a copy of their own. Or, have they ever investigated Christianity or are they obtaining all their roadblocks to faith from information from other individuals. Often times someone who opposes it has never read the bible themselves.

It's important to defend your faith, but it's not important to have all the answers. My husband and I mentor couples and we often get questions thrown at us randomly as obstacles to what the person is really feeling. We will ask them to give us one/two questions that really eat at them that they want an honest answer to, then we'll do the reserach if we need to. Often we find that once we come back with an answer, it really wasn't what mattered.

When we are honest and tell someone we are new in our faith and still learning but are willing to do the research and find the answers to their questions, we throw off the antagonist. This individual really wasn't angry at you personally, but they are obviously angry with God. You can't talk about God existing in one breath asking questions about Him, and deny He exists in the second breath. That is what this individual was doing.

Lee Stroebel is a writer who has written some wonderful books- The Case For Christ, The Case For a Creator and the Case For the Resurrection. He was a legal anaylst/reporter for the Chicago Tribune and once an atheist.
These books would be worth reading to boost your confidence as a new Christian. Also, some oldies but goodies are Know Why You Believe by Paul Little and New Evidence That Demands a Verdict by Josh McDowell.
You can find these books at http://www.growthtrac.com/spiritual/seekers.php

[New Life]

Davep, Webacus and Sam

Thank you for replies and book suggestions.

Davep,

I do not understand what you mean by, "The bible is the inspired word of God. Each word was not spoken to the writers." Then my friend is correct.
The bible 'was' written by men. I am more confused than ever. I thought it is 'Gods Word'. If each word is not spoken to the writers then how is it God's Word? I don't understand what you mean by this, and see that I obviously screwed that one up in my discussion with her.

When you've spent nearly forty years avoiding any talk of God and had no interest in knowing Him and have had NO interest in what the bible has to say, man made answers are about all you can come up with within two months of coming to faith in Christ. I don't know what the bible says
because I've just started reading it. Though I've heard alot about this Paul
charecter I couldn't tell you what book of the bible he's found in to save my life. Frankly I wish she'd find someone else to ask questions of.
Parroting answers... a bible scholar I certainly am not, but I am trying
to learn. Perhaps I should live in seclusion until I have the correct Godly answers. Save a lot of trouble. I had no idea what I was getting into by telling her about my decision.

Webacus,

She is trying to stump me. She detests my decision to embrace this faith.
In her eyes I am now an unedjucated, simple minded fool, who's need for acceptance and who's inability to see my worth apart from some mystical belief in God is seen as a tragedy. God is fine for the occasional Sunday
but I am ridiculous for falling for the belief that I need Him in my life.
Frankly she thought I was more intelligent.

Don't be intolerant of her anger and attacks on my charecter which was
held in high regard by her two months ago. Geez, how do you people do this.

I may be the only Christian she speaks to:

Yea! BECAUSE SHE'S ALREADY EATEN ALL OF THE OTHERS!!!

Sam,

You can't defend your faith if you don't fully understand it yourself.
What I understand is that God can't be in the presence of sin, I am a sinner, Jesus is God's son and He died to make it possible for me to be forgiven by God, His blood paid my price, I accepted Jesus and asked Him to save me, forgive me and make me right with God, and now I am His child and want to learn and live for Him.

That's it! Not much to go on is it?

She doesn't want the answers, she wants to prove a point.
That I have foolishly committed myself to a 'religion' that, frankly
I know little about, all because someone told me that I need to in order
to enter Gods presence. Remember, to her the bible is a book written by men and it holds no more value than a good old classic.

If she tells me I am an unedjucated simpleton one more time I'm going hit her over the head with Gods word!

Questions about why I have chosen this faith and what I believe are fine.

Having to field her arrows, I'd prefer to leave to an older, wiser Christian.

[SAM]

The books I mentioned will help you have confidence in your faith.
Simply Jesus. That is what is all comes down to, simply Jesus. He is the foundation of the Christian faith. You can argue all other points until you are blue in the face, but it comes down to who Jesus is and what He did that is different from other religious leaders. It's interesting that he causes so much controversy 2000+ years later.

Intelligent people investigate. If she claims her intelligence is superior to your own, ask her if she has ever picked up the bible to read herself.
Intelligent people read all types of literature and don't slough things off as garbage without picking it up and investigating it themselves. When I don't know an answer to something, I honestly tell someone I do not know but let me talk to someone who does or let me do further reserach. I've always found that people respect me more when I don't pretend to have all the answers.
I'm not a biblical scholar and most Christians aren't either.

2 Timothy 3:16-17
16All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work

God provided Moses with the 10 commandments - Moses did not write them on the tablets himself. Could you imagine writing all the scripture in the bible on stone tablets? In God's infinite wisdom he knew we couldn't carry scripture with us in stone form.

GrowthtracPak Christianity101 Book Bundles can be found
http://www.musichristian.com/artistprof ... Growthtrac

Lee Stroebel's the Case For Faith is an excellent book.
With time, learning and reading you will have the confidence you need to defend your decision to accept Christ as your savior.

[New Life]

Sam,

I will give the honesty approach a try if she brings it up again.
And I'll read and try to gain more biblical knowledge.
And I will try to 'be there' and still be a friend if she wishes.

I still don't understand the difference between the bible being inspired
by God but not being given by God word for word. I understand about the stone tablets. But, how did God tell these men (who wrote the bible)
what to write? If he didn't then how is it Gods word?

Don't mean to be troublesome, there's just still so much I don't understand about this faith.

[SAM]

As men/women who are mere mortals, the abilities of God are rather mind-boggling. Here's my personal approach on this - some may agree and others may think differently.

Per the verse in Timothy, all scripture is God breathed. I look at that as him breathing the scripture into the individuals who wrote it down. Yes, written by men but God breathed. When something is God breathed, my understanding is it is God inspired.

So as a new Christian you wonder to what extent is the bible inspired and to what degree? There is a doctrine of plenary (full, complete extending to all parts) holds that the original documents of the bible were written by man, who, though permitted to exercise their own personalities and literary talents, wrote under the control and guidance of the Spirit of God.
The result being in every word of the original documents (thousands of manuscripts) a perfect and errorless recording of the exact message, which God desired, is given to man.

The bible is so unique in its continuity compared to any other ancient document -
1) written over a 1500 year span
2) written over 40 generations
3) written by more than 40 authors from every walk of life
4) written in different places
5) written at different times
6) written on three continents
7) written in three languages - Hebrew, Aramaic & Greek

Its subject matter includes hundreds of controversial subjects, yet the biblical authors spoke/wrote with such harmony and continuity from Genesis to Revelation.

If you take 10 different authors, all from one walk in life, one generation, one place, one time, one mood, one continent, one language and one controversial subject - would these ten authors agree? Yet, in the bible there is agreement amongst all the authors from the bible and one story to be told - God's redemption of man.

No easy way to explain it. I started reading and reading to learn more about my faith and why I believe what I do after becoming a Christian and that's OK. I found that it cemented by decision as being a solid and an intelligent one. Christianity is an intelligent faith even though your friend does not think so.

All of this information I've written here I did not come up with on my own.
It is from a book called A Ready Defense by Josh McDowell. Pretty fabulous, huh??

[New Life]

[pretty fabulous, huh?]

Yes! I understand now. Cleared up some doubts that were beginning to fester, and gives me a better understanding of the bibles origins if the topic should arise again with my friend. Thank you Sam.

A ready defense : (Josh Mcdowell) I don't know how I'm going to get through all of the book suggestions I've been given but this one will have to move to the top of the list.

I hope it comes in hard cover just in case I need to use 'it' as a ready defense.

[SAM]

A Ready Defense has been on our bookshelf for years and it's pretty tattered and torn. Just remember Rome wasn't built in a day and neither will your knowledge of Christianity. I learn something new every time I read the bible and someone asks me a hard question. It will be 20 years next month that I gave my life to Christ.

Kind of hard not to take it personally. As you know, her anger isn't directed at you, but it's at God. She can't deny his existence in one breath and ask questions about Him in another. She knows He's there just a sittin' at the door and knockin' -
Revelation 3:20

[New Life]

Hey Sam,

I just looked up Revelation 3:20.

I remember that verse being quoted to me numerous times the week
leading up to my accepting Jesus as my Savior. At the time it just didn't really impact me, it sounded like a nice, heartwarming Christian thing to say but it did not hold any meaning.

When I read your response I realized I'd never actually looked the verse up myself.
When I read it with my own eyes tonight the meaning behind the verse struck me like a two by four. I pictured someone knocking at my door
and waiting for it to be opened. How long would someone actually wait.
A very patient person, maybe an hour or so. Two if they feel it's important.

Jesus stood at the door of my heart patiently knocking and waiting for me to open my heart to Him for thirty seven years! It is amazing!

This verse helped me with something else I've been wrestling with this week. Though I came to believe that Jesus had died for my sin, I did not feel or believe that He forgave 'all' of my sin. It's been bothering me.
When I read this verse I realized that if Jesus was willing to wait all these years for me to finally trust in Him then He must have loved me more than I can imagine( like I've repeatedly been told). If His love for me was so great that He would die to
cleanse me of it,and patiently wait for me to believe, then He would not and could not leave any sin unforgiven.
If He did, then His sacrifice on the cross would have been for nothing.
Because God can be in the presence of 'no' sin.

Geez Louise, took me long enough to let that sink in! Should have looked that verse up a month ago!

You're right. I think she is very angry at God. How soon I have forgotten that I was in that same place not long ago. I was reminded of how hateful I was to any Christian who tried to share the truth with me. I was also reminded of what a significant impact they had on me when they continued to take my abuse and loved me in spite of it. They practically loved me into the kingdom of God. I let my personal feelings blind me
from seeing the ultimate purpose of showing love in the face of extreme
anger and hatred. Sooo, I now feel renewed and ready to move ahead.
Atleast for the next day or so.

But I also recognized that getting into a debate with me never did any good. I only became more insolent and argumentative the deeper we got into any discussion about God. I almost felt compelled to prove the 'Christian' wrong. I will be more careful 'not' to debate her future questions and statements but to offer to research and find the answers
she's 'seeking' and then leave it to God to duke it out with her.


I feel more inspired to pray for her.

One little verse...

Thank you

[SAM]

Your Welcome - it is one of my favorites and I have a picture with a door and the verse right beneath it that hangs in a frame right next to my front door.

God's patience with us is amazing isn't it??

[Davep]

Davep,

I do not understand what you mean by, "The bible is the inspired word of God. Each word was not spoken to the writers." Then my friend is correct.
The bible 'was' written by men. I am more confused than ever. I thought it is 'Gods Word'. If each word is not spoken to the writers then how is it God's Word? I don't understand what you mean by this, and see that I obviously screwed that one up in my discussion with her.

The Ten Commandments are the direct words of God, the words from the Prophets are the direct words of God. The messages carried by the Angels are the direct words of God. The words spoken by Jesus are the words of God. The message from John the Baptist are the direct words of God The rest is the inspired word of God, which cronicles Gods activity with his chosen people and/or appointed apostles.

The bible was written by men for God. The bible was not written by men for themselves. Also remember the Bible was written by one man, or even a group of men all in the same generation. There was no committe overseeing the project. God is the editor and publisher, man serves as the scribe writing.

[marzettejohnson]

1. According to the bible, the scriptures are God inspired for edification, exortation and correction. A Christian believes the bible by faith. That is how you know the bible is true because you have faith. It is impossible to please God without faith.

2. Jesus came into the earth of course to give us an opportunity to get in right standing with God. He is an example of how we are to live, and how we are to fight temptation. While Jesus was in the flesh, He was subjected to the same temptations and situations that we face. He chose not to yield, but to follow God's directions exactly.

I would suggest not getting into scripture-for-scripture debates with people. As a matter of fact, the bible says we shouldn't do it. Your friends are not going to fully understand because your language is of the spirit and their language is of the flesh. Until they become born again and start studying the bible, they are not going to understand.

Just live your life according to the Word. Your friends will be won over to Christ based on how you live and how you treat them. Continue to study and grow in the Word. Each day you will understand a little more.

[Mishymu]

Who Created Evil?

A university professor challenged his students with this question: "Did God create everything that exists?"

A student bravely replied "Yes, he did!"

"God created everything?" the professor asked.

"Yes sir," the student replied.

The professor answered, "If God created everything, then God created evil since evil exists, and according to the principal that our works define who we are, then God is evil."

The professor was quite pleased with himself and boasted to the students that he had proven once more that the Christian faith was a myth.

Another student raised his hand and said, "Can I ask you a question professor?"

"Of course," replied the professor.

The student stood up and asked, "Professor, does cold exist?"

The professor replied "Of course it exists. Have you never been cold?"

The students snickered at the young man's question. The young man replied, "In fact sir, cold does not exist. According to the laws of physics, what we consider cold is in reality the absence of heat.

Every body or object is susceptible to study when it has or transmits energy, and heat is what makes a body, or matter, have or transmit energy. Absolute zero (- 460 degrees F) is the total absence of heat. Cold does not exist. We have created this word to describe how we feel if we have no heat.

The student continued. "Professor, does darkness exist?"
The professor responded, "Of course it does."

The student replied, "Once again you are wrong sir. Darkness does not exist either. Darkness is in reality the absence of light. Light, we can study, but not darkness. In fact we can use Newton 's prism to break white light into many colors and study the various wavel! engths o f each color. You cannot measure darkness. A simple ray of light can break into a world of darkness and illuminate it. How can you know how dark a certain space is? You measure the amount of light present. Isn't this correct? Darkness is a term used by man to describe what happens when there is no light present."

Finally the young man asked the professor. "Sir, does evil exist?"

Now uncertain, the professor responded, "Of course, as I have already said. We see it every day. It is in the daily example of man's inhumanity to man. It is in the multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world. These manifestations are nothing else but evil."

To this the student replied, "Evil does not exist sir, or at least it does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is just like darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the absence of God.

God did not create evil. Evil is the result of what happens when man does not have God's love present in his heart. It's like the cold that comes when there is no heat or the darkness that comes when there is no light."

The professor sat down.

The young man's name --- Albert Einstein

*Always remember though, that it doesn't take a genius to know that we need God