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ss Confident Christianity - Confident Christianity,  How to Handle the Basic Question - Why do YOU Believe in God?

How to Handle the Basic Question - Why do YOU Believe in God?

Three Valid Approaches

  1. Beauty and design in the natural order eg Ps 19:1, Rom 1:19-20
  2. Inner awareness eg Acts 17:27, Rom 2:15
  3. God has revealed himself in Jesus Christ eg Col 1:13-15

Three Different Sets of Objections

  1. Creation
    Genesis v Evolution
    The problems of suffering and evil
  2. Experience
    The world's religions
    Isn't it all psychological?
    Relativism and the nature of truth and morals
  3. Jesus Christ
    The reliability of the Gospels
The art of dialogue evangelism is to anticipate the possible responses to what we are saying. Eventually any discussion about Christian belief will involve some discussion about the nature of the documents of the New Testament. Here is the bottom line in 'apologetics'. You may have to discuss all the other subjects as well! However, if you reply to 'the basic question ' using approaches (1) or (2), it is you the evangelist who has put these other subjects on to the agenda for discussion!

Conclusion

The Basic Answer?

Head for the heart of the Gospel - talk about Jesus!

Bible References

  1. Beauty and design in the natural order
    Ps 19v1
    The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
    Rom 1v19-20
    since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
  2. Inner awareness
    Acts 17v27
    God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.
    Rom 2v15
    since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.
  3. God has revealed himself in Jesus Christ
    Col 1v13-15
    For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

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