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This is a phrase you’ll see repeated often throughout this blog. The question is one of
How do you answer?
When asked how we know salvation is true, a popular answer is “I know it in my heart.” When pushed, we often realize we can’t debate someone on the matter. But why should we need to explain salvation? Shouldn’t people leave us alone because we feel the truth of Christ and the Bible?
But set Christ apart as Lord in your hearts and always be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks about the hope you possess. (1 Peter 3:15)
It sounds very spiritual to say we’re so convinced of truth because of how we feel about it, but feelings are horrible indicators of what’s true. That’s why God doesn’t just want our feelings – He wants our minds to be convinced of the truth.
Consider your favorite book: why should I read it? When we talk about things we enjoy, we have a host of reasons why a matter of preference is convincing. Perhaps we can even get someone to try it because everything we say sounds so good! We’re convinced a book is good because we’ve evaluated its merits (it’s life-changing, well written, has great character development, etc.) and we use what we’ve set in our minds to explain and defend why we enjoy it so much.
How are they to call on one they have not believed in? And how are they to believe in one they have not heard of? And how are they to hear without someone preaching to them? (Romans 10:14)
The truth of sin and salvation isn’t a matter of preference like a favorite book. It’s not something where we can say “I like it, but you may not.” Everyone needs this truth. But how can they hear the truth if no one explains it to them? And how can we explain it if we, ourselves, merely have personal feelings to explain our hope?
Salvation and beyond
While salvation is central to our lives, it’s not all there is to be convinced of. We all have thousands of things we believe that determine our broader worldview. Each of those beliefs can be supported by subjectivity, worldly wisdom, or the Bible. Two lead to people abandoning the faith, one keeps us firm in it.
If someone asked, how would you point them to biblical truth, not feelings, about these beliefs?
- Is homosexuality compatible with the Bible? If not, how do you answer the belief that the prohibition is an Old Testament law, which Christ freed us from?
- How far is “too far” before marriage? Is flirting okay? Or “checking people out” at the beach?
- Can Christians smoke marijuana if it’s legal?
- Why does God allow children to suffer and their abusers to go free?
- How do you know God even exists? If you say “The Bible says so,” how do you know the Bible is true? If you say “Because it says it is,” then shouldn’t we trust any religious text that claims it comes from a deity?
If some of these are hard to answer, don’t panic! The point isn’t to make anyone say “I don’t know, so I guess I shouldn’t believe it.” Not knowing something at the moment shouldn’t stop us from believing it, nor can it ever stop us from sharing Christ for fear of not being able to explain it well. However, that’s exactly what happens to so many people.
When we hold a belief without proof, one of two things happens. Either we are easily swayed by the first thing that sounds more plausible, leading us to flit from belief to belief without ever landing on truth (Ephesians 4:14). Or we’re too prideful to admit our belief was flawed in the first place, causing us to become so entrenched in a lie that we prefer it over clear, biblical truth (Psalm 32:9).
Learning the “why”
Christians live in a remarkable time. We have access to so much information, both good and bad, that we can learn about any question we may have. Unlike the early church fathers, we don’t need to do all the heavy lifting ourselves because we can stand on the shoulders of those who came before, building upon the foundational truths they spent their lives pursuing.
Yet it’s never a matter of simply finding the right answer. We can’t copy a math equation and insist we know how to apply trigonometry to our lives. Likewise, we can’t see the answer someone arrived at and use that to help us view the world biblically.
This is why it’s so dangerous to be a “Sunday morning Christian.” Our lives are filled with people wanting to understand
A mind of truth and a heart that follows
This blog exists to encourage people in their walk with Christ. Yet we never do so through motivational verses, emotional appeals, or encouraging people to feel better about themselves. We believe honoring God through holy living begins in the mind, which is the core of who we are.
Living a life in search of truth is how we’re able to follow Christ in every area, not just those areas where we have answers. It’s what allows us to explain Christ to the world and create a foundation for our children. It’s only by being unshakably convinced of the truth that we’re able to persist in our faith in a world that hates God.
Dear friends, although I have been eager to write to you about our common salvation, I now feel compelled instead to write to encourage you to contend earnestly for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints. (Jude 3)
