My crisis of faith began with one sentence, "What are you reading?" I was determined to have my devotions and read my bible. I was a new believer rooming with two non-believers. Their question seemed innocent, they were curious about my early morning reading material.
I don't even remember what passage I was reading. I just wanted to be a good testimony. When they started talking about science and creation, about the impossibility of a universal flood, of the ridiculousness of miracles, I had no answers. It wasn't that I was unsure of forgotten information. Their arguments were plausible. I mean who could ignore scientific evidence.
This morning I googled the top arguments against Christians and they haven't changed. They all revolve around the basic assumption of naturalism, that God doesn't exist, and the triumph of science over the incompatibility of faith. They sound reasonable.
That's why Paul was writing the Colossians. He didn't want them to be swayed away from their faith by arguments that sounded good. Deception is a key tool in the devil's arsenal, and he uses it in the area of our weakness. If a loved one dies, "how could God allow it?" If you have cancer, "Why is there pain and suffering in the world?" If you like science, "Doesn't evolution disprove the creation myth?" If your a philosopher, "If Jesus is the only way why are there so many religions in the world?" If you are caring, "Would God really send people to hell who have never heard the gospel?" "How can a loving God even contemplate sending someone to hell?" If you don't like the bible's restrictions, "But doesn't God want me to be happy?" Plausible, reasonable, arguments abound.
When presented with plausible arguments doubt can set in, bitterness can take root, and apostasy can follow. In my crisis God led me to Bible College. For others it is a good book, their pastor, or a friend. Counter arguments, however, are not what keeps us from falling away. They are important, but they are secondary. The Apostle Paul told the Colossians that what would keep them was the knitted love of the body that led them to a deeper understanding of the mystery of God in Christ. It is the same for us today.
What anchors me in my deepest emotional need is the reality of God's existence. I cannot escape that fundamental truth. Through the working of the Holy Spirit, God teaches me that His love is unshakable, and that it was powerfully expressed in the death and resurrection of Jesus! The issues I face, the questions I have, and the doubt I encounter are always seen through the lens of His unfathomable love. There are answers to all the plausible questions, there is nothing new under the sun. But unless we are set firm on the foundation of Christ the storms of life, the deception of Satan, and our own lusts will lead to apostasy.
What plausible arguments are tugging on your faith? What strong, faithful believer can you confide in? It's not a sin to have doubts, and it's not anti-intellectual to believe in God through Christ. Deepen your understanding of Jesus. Struggle in the fellowship of his suffering and the power of his resurrection. In the end God will chase the darkness from the corners of your life until all that is left is the light of his love. There you will grasp its height, it's depth, and its breadth until you reach the fullness that is in Christ. I'm just saying.
"I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments" (Col. 2:4).
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The following is an excerpt from my book “Reflections of a Broken Man.” It seems narcissistic to post the reflections of some of my darkest hours, but then again isn’t blogging itself self absorbed. At any rate I thought I would repost some of the poems over the next couple of days and add some additional thoughts. The opening begins:
