(This article also includes a podcast discussion. Click the play button below, or subscribe and listen on your Apple or Google podcast app.)
We live in a world full of people seeking truth. All religions, including atheism and agnosticism, are an attempt to explain the world we see and where we fit into it. They attempt to answer some big questions about life. As Christians, it’s important for us to know how we answer those questions, but it’s also important to understand the beliefs of those who are lost so we can engage with them with wisdom and understanding.
Our command to engage the world
In Acts, Paul sets an example of how we’re to interact with the world. Though we aren’t supposed to take part in the world system, we do need to live in a way that allows us to share the gospel with others.
For since I am free from all I can make myself a slave to all, in order to gain even more people. To the Jews I became like a Jew to gain the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law) to gain those under the law. To those free from the law I became like one free from the law (though I am not free from God’s law but under the law of Christ) to gain those free from the law. To the weak I became weak in order to gain the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that by all means I may save some.
I do all these things because of the gospel, so that I can be a participant in it. (1 Corinthians 9:19-23)
The purpose of this series isn’t to win arguments against Muslims or Catholics. It’s not meant to make us feel superior to those who are lost. Rather, the goal of the series is to equip believers to understand those who are bound for Hell so that God can use us to reveal His truth. This series exists to help us spread the gospel.
The big questions
There are several major questions a person’s beliefs need to answer. While this series won’t cover all of them, there are some critical ones we need to understand to help us better talk to those of different religions. In understanding what they believe, we are better able to explain why God provides a better, consistent, and more reasonable answer.
Why is there something instead of nothing?
This question deals with existence itself. How do we explain that things went from a state of nothingness to suddenly existing? The universe can’t be eternal, so what, if anything, decided to create time, space, and matter?
How can we know what’s true?
What reason do we have to hold our beliefs? Where do we go with our questions? When we have doubts, is there something outside ourselves that supersedes our personal beliefs?
Why are we here? What’s our purpose?
Most religions give a purpose to our lives. Some would argue that religion exists simply because people want a purpose. How we answer the previous questions will often dictate how we understand our purpose.
What is right and wrong?
Something has to be our source of determining whether an action is good. Whether we say morality is based on cultural context or something more absolute, every belief system has a way of approving or condemning actions.
What happens when we die?
This is often the question that leads to someone seeking truth in the first place. Often, what we do in this life will determine what happens when it ends. Because of this, most beliefs end up forming themselves around the answer to this question.
Bringing it all together
Having this knowledge is wonderful, but how do we apply it to the gospel? Once we understand what a person believes, and why they believe it, we have a solid foundation to present the gospel.
- Do they have to work to earn something in the afterlife?
- Is everything essentially meaningless?
- Does everyone go to some form of Heaven?
Beliefs like these are all answered in the Bible. When we understand people, we understand how to talk to them about God’s grace, justice, and mercy. We can actively engage with people, asking them questions and showing how certain beliefs are inconsistent with the world around us.
After explaining what a religion believes, we’ll end with a discussion on how to engage with those who follow that religion. While there’s never a single “right way” to present the gospel, knowing how a person understands truth, purpose, and the value of their good works allows us to know where their hearts and minds are. From there we can share with them God’s revealed truth, His purpose for their lives, and the value of Christ’s death on the cross.
