The other night I had the opportunity to sit down with a guy and talk theology, something I love to do. I was introduced to him by a good friend of mine who has been trying to line us up to talk for some time. It didn't take long into our conversation that I realized I was engaging someone who was incredibly well read and intelligent. He came from a pretty oppressive church background and, as a result of some really horrible things being done to him in the name of religion (not Jesus), he left not just the church but the faith as well.
The conversation was all over the place and I was challenged mentally and spiritually like I haven't been in many years. Sure, we both got animated on a couple of occasions but we left as new friends and I genuinely admire and respect him for his desire for answers. But what stuck with me the most was how important it is, now more than ever, for followers of Christ to know how to articulate what and why they believe.
Throughout our conversation this gentleman used his knowledge of the Bible and history to try and prove why the Bible itself couldn't be the inspired word of God. Since that belief was at the core of his argument, it was difficult to use the testimony of Scripture to defend the authority of Scripture. As a result, his beliefs now ranged from the denial of the existence of hell, everyone on earth is eventually going to heaven (universalism), Jesus taught salvation as earned by works, Jesus is not the only way to God but He is the best way, truth is relative and not absolute, and only the red letters in the New Testament are worth reading and following (he completely rejects the "barbaric" book of Joshua and the teachings of Paul).
You can only imagine how difficult it was to move in a positive direction in our conversation and on one more than one occasion I admitted to him that I could not sufficiently answer some of his questions. Yet it didn't take long for me to realize that my role in this conversation wasn't to try to convince him that I was right. My role for that night was to stand for what I believe with every fiber of my being is the truth of God. I also know that it is not up to me to change his life; only God can do that. But if I don't faithfully present the truth of God then I believe that I in turn have not been faithful to God.
Most of you probably won't have an encounter like this one. It was unique even for me. I think it's easier to dialogue with a true skeptic than with someone who has been immersed in the Bible for years only to now deny its veracity and authority. As followers of Christ we must be immersed in His truth and that truth is found in His word (by the way, we worked through several passages he found difficult to believe although by no means was his view completely changed). There will be times when philosophy and logic come into play, but they are no substitute for knowing and loving the Bible, God's truth given to man. If you don't have a plan to read and study God's word then let me encourage you to talk to someone who can get you started. It's time to get serious about the truth of God, especially when those who don't believe know more about the Bible than many of God's people do.
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