Why Christians Must Share Their Faith

For Christians, sharing the gospel is matter of love, mercy, and obedience. Let's take a brief look at each one.

Share Christ out of Love

The Bible tells Christians to love our neighbors, love other Christians, and to love our enemy. That pretty much covers all the bases.

We are to love others, just as Christ first loved us. We did not deserve His mercy, but He freely provided it.

If you love someone, would you let them come to harm if you could help it? Of course not. Then you can't keep quiet. The fact is, everyone you meet will die one day. Maybe today. If that person is not a Christian, they are headed for eternal torment. True love would never allow this to happen without at least warning them.

Charles Spurgeon once said, “Have you no wish for others to be saved? Then you are not saved yourself. Be sure of that." Why would he say this? Because once you understand the truth about heaven and hell, you simply can't remain quiet.

If you love the non-believer, you simply must share the truth with them. To do otherwise would be like a fireman who walks past a burning house full of people without a concern for their safety.

Share Christ out of Mercy

When the Bible speaks of 'mercy' it describes sparing someone from their deserved judgment. While Christian's can't provide the mercy, they can make a non-believer aware of God's merciful nature and His offer of grace.

It's not mercy to keep the gospel to yourself, that's selfishness. Demonstrate your love of others by mercifully revealing their lost state (their failure to follow the Ten Commanments), and the path to salvation (repentance and faith).

Share Christ out of Obedience

The Bible is clear on our responsibility to share the gospel.

• Mark 16:15 says, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel."
• 2 Tim 4:2 tells us to "Preach the gospel in season and out"
• Mark 13:10 says, "The gospel must be preached to all nations."
• Acts 1:8 says, "you shall be My witnesses."

If you don't share the gospel you are disobedient, you are not merciful, and you are not loving. Are you a truly a Christian?

Many Roads To Heaven?

Why should I, or any Christian, care what other people think about eternity?

After all, as Oprah Winfrey would say about God and faith, "If it brings her to the same point as it brings you, it doesn't matter whether she calls it God along the way or not... Does God care about your heart, or does God care if you call his Son Jesus?"

Um, neither.

First, denying Jesus Christ does NOT bring someone to the same point it brings a Christian. A non-Christian is NOT a Christian, so they are not at the same point.

Why does this matter? Although some believe that all religions are the same, or that there are many paths to heaven, Jesus said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through me." (John 14:6). Christ Himself makes it clear: without understanding who He is, and trusting completely in Him (not one of the many man-defined paths to God), there is no hope.

Secondly, Oprah makes another common mistake: believing that people are basically good. Of course God cares about your heart, but He knows that without Christ, your heart is "deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked..." (Jer 17:9). God searches the heart. That's why it doesn't matter if you call his Son Jesus, as Oprah states. What matters is the condition of your heart, how you respond to that knowledge, and where you put your trust.

As we saw in the One From Column A, One From Column B post, men try to create many paths to heaven, but there is only one way: Repent from your sinful ways; cry out to God for His mercy; and put your complete trust and faith in Jesus Christ... The only way.

How Are YOU Doing?

If you were to die right now, where would you end up?

According to Barna Research: "Half of all adults (50%) argue that anyone who "is generally good or does enough good things for others during their life will earn a place in Heaven.""(The Barna Group, Oct 8, 2002).

So, how are you doing? Are you a good person? Are you good enough to go to heaven when you die?

You can find out in less than two minutes by answering a few questions.

How? Take a quick look at a few of Ten Commandments, God's standard for who is "good" and who is not.

How many lies have you told? Most people will admit that the number of lies they've told during their life is rather large. If you tell lies, you are known as a liar.

Have you ever stolen anything? Even if the value is small, or the item was relatively insignificant, if you've ever taken something that didn't belong to you without permission, you are a thief.

Have you ever looked at another person and lusted after them? Just about anyone who is older that 13, and is honest, will have to admit that they have. Big deal? Well, Jesus said that if you've even looked at another person with lust, you've already committed adultery in your heart.

One more, then we'll see how you're doing.

Have you ever hated someone, or call someone nasty names? Because God knows your innermost thoughts, He knows that hate takes root before murder takes place. That's why Christ said, "everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty." You haven't committed the act, but you have already committed murder in your mind and heart.

So, let's have a summary. If you admitted to each of the above questions (and we've only looked at four of the Ten Commandments), then you are a liar, a thief, an adulterer, and a murderer in God's eyes.

If you stood before God tonight, and He judged you by the Ten Commandments, would you be innocent or guilty?

Everyone who is answering truthfully would admit to breaking at least one of the Ten Commandments. You don't need to break all of them, of even most of them, to be guilty. The Bible says that if you break even one, you are guilty of breaking all. So, you'd be guilty, just like the rest of us.

Would that mean heaven, or hell?

No one likes to admit it, or think about it, but the answer is clear. The Bible says, "all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone..." It also says that no one who breaks God's Law will inherit the kingdom of heaven (Rev 21:8, and 1 Cor 6:10).

The fact is, we've all fallen short of God's standard, and deserve our place in hell.

Does that concern you?

It should. After all, everyone dies, and all sinners will face God on Judgment Day.

What will you say?

Is there any hope? Yes, there is.

God is not only just, He is also loving and forgiving. Because of this, He offers a path to salvation.

Two thousand years ago, God took on the form of a man, called Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus (also known as the Christ) lived a sin-free life, but took the sins of the world upon himself during his death on the cross. Because of this, your sins and mine can be forgiven. His sacrifice was the same as a legal transaction today. It's as if He paid the cost for our crimes, and now we can go free.

All He asks in return is that you repent and put your trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior.

Repent means to recognize your sin, confess your sin to God, ask for forgiveness, and then turn from your sinful ways. You can't be a drunk, do drugs, hate people... say that you love Jesus, then be a drunk, do drugs, and hate people. Your actions show that you did not really repent, and you don't love the Lord.

Putting your trust in Jesus means that you place Him at the head of your life in every way. You recognize that there is no hope outside of your faith in Him. You then do all you can to follow after Him the rest of your life. That begins with prayer and reading His Word (the Bible).

Please don't wait.

Make up your mind. Putting it off is the same as rejecting Christ.

Today you still have time. You are, as Bob says, "Still vertical."

But, every day 150,000 people die. Believe me, few of those who died today planned to take their last breath. Many died suddenly in an accident, or a crime. Some died in their sleep. Some had an unexpected blood clot or anurism and died in a few short seconds.

Please don't put it off until tomorrow. Decide right now. Then, if you agree that you are a sinner who needs God's mercy, cry out to him... read the Bible... pray daily... and join a church of devoted believers.

The Startling Conclusion About Everything

We've just concluded that there is a Creator. Not based on blind faith or fairy tales, or fear, or even the Bible, but based on reality. The reality that there is reality at all (something rather than nothing) and the reality that all people have a commonly understood set of moral standards which we call The Law.

Just as a particular brush-stroke is evidence of a particular artist, The Law is evidence of the Creator.

Now, it is time to bring the discussion to the Bible and the God described therein.

Why? Because of all the religions, and all the books, the Holy Bible is the one that describes creation in this way, and the one that describes the Creator (God) in this way.

Genesis 1:1, for example, says: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." Something, from something... not something from nothing.

Romans 2:15 says, "they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness..." The commonly understood moral code... is inside everyone.

There are numerous other scriptures that touch on these subjects, but the two I've chosen are sufficient to illustrate the point. You may not agree, but I'd urge you to study the question. Don't continue to be led astray by the illogical argument that everything came from nothing. That's blind faith.

The God of the Bible is real. The evidence is all around you (creation), and inside you (your conscience).

What is God like? What are His attributes? They are clearly described in the Bible. They include: all-knowing, all-seeing, just, loving, creative, wise, eternal, holy, and faithful.

If those attributes don't make you uneasy, you're not thinking seriously about their meaning.

For example, suppose you broke the law and were taken into court to stand trial. There is no doubt that you're guilty. What should the judge do... let you go? Of course not. Not if he is a good judge.

When you break The Law (God's Law), which is understood by everyone (which means you know that you've broken it), what should a just and good God do with you?

Uh-Oh.

Just as a good judge would need to carry out the sentence, so will God.

We'll talk more about this next time.

Everything From Nothing, or Everything from Something?

We're making progress in seeking the answer to these questions: Is there a God? If so, who is He?

We have not specifically proven the existence of God, but we have discussed direct evidence of Him: the commonly understood standard of right and wrong, which we call The Law.

Once you understand that this law exists, you can move on to the next question...

Where did this law come from?

For that matter, where did anything come from?

Why is there anything, instead of nothing?

There are two dominant views concerning how everything got here: The Big Bang, and Intelligent Design (the idea that someone, or something, purposely put it here).

Keep in mind that all this stuff around us: planets, solar systems, protons, and electrons, all follow predictable patterns in strict, measurable ways. Some stuff, which we call 'living' stuff (kittens, dogs, people) also follow predictable patterns, but in a less rigid way.

According to the Big Bang theory, all this stuff, which acts in predictable ways, did something very unpredictable... It blew up.

In fact, all this stuff blew up for no known reason as the result of nothing happening (because nothing existed, including time) at a time when none of it existed. Odd, don't you think?

On top of that, after all this stuff, which came from nowhere for no reason, exploded, it organized itself into an orderly, predicable, measurable universe. Then it randomly organized into air, water, proteins, crystals, planets, the suns, moons, and more.

Next, all this inanimate stuff that randomly came into existence organized itself into pairs of replicating life forms. Each life form didn't just randomly come into existence by itself... a second one randomly occurred at the same time so that reproduction was possible. How convenient.

These life forms, again by random chance, just happen to provide balances in the ecosystem. Insects, plants, birds, animals, parasites, flies... each create benefits for other creatures. Without some, others could not live, and yet they came to exist at the same time.

On top of all of that, all this stuff that began so explosively and randomly now acts very predictably.

If you believe all that. You've got a lot more faith than those of us who believe the other option: an intelligent force designed and created all that we know about, all that we can see, and all that we can measure.

Why this is so hard to accept amazes me. On the one hand: design. On the other: nothing from nothing caused by nothing randomly organizes into everything.

Nothing else in life or science follows any rule that says anything like, "it just happens out of nothing over gadzillions of years." Nothing. So, why does anyone think that everything could just appear out of nothing and over gadzillions of years organize itself into something?

Not believing in a designer is blind faith. Believing in a designer makes complete sense, and follows the patterns that we understand logically and scientifically.

Here are a few more things to think about:

• Your car is proof that there are car-designers and car-builders.
• Your shoes are proof that there are shoe-designers and shoe-builders.
• If you find a series of seven or eight quarters lined up and spaced evenly, you immediately understand that someone (or something) did that... it wasn't random chance.

Therefore, order, design, creation and everything in it, is proof positive of a Creator.

Including the commonly accepted and understood Laws.

Just as a painter leaves behind traces and signatures of himself in the artwork... Just as a computer programmer leaves traces of his personality in the software... Just as a jeweler leaves telltale clues in his jewelry that it was his design... The Creator of the universe left clear indications of His design, including the Laws that are build into each one of us.

We'll explore this a bit more next time.

Is There A God?

The next few posts will focus on the questions: Is there a God? If so, who is He?

This posting will begin to answer the question, "Is there a God?"

I think the best introduction to this concept was written by C.S. Lewis, in his book Mere Christianity. I've used his outline as my guide for this article.

Some of you may object to my use of a book entitled, Mere Christianity, to introduce this topic. You may argue, "No fair, you're beginning with a starting point of Christianity."

Perhaps, but the fact is, I've studied this question most of my life, and I have arrived at the point of firmly understanding the truth of Christianity. So, even if you think my starting point is biased, I ask that you indulge the discussion with tolerance.

Maybe your patience will be calmed by considering that I'm not asking you to do anything that you don't do every single day. After all, most of the early scientists were Christians. Therefore many of the great scientific discoveries were made by Christians. Yet, you don't refuse to take Penicillin when you're ill, nor do you reject the fact that the planets revolve around the sun, simply because those ideas originate with Christians (Alexander Fleming and Nicolaus Copernicus, respectively). All I ask is that you consider this information so you can make an informed decision.

Let's begin with a simple question: Have you ever argued with someone?

Of course you have. Everyone has. But, why argue?

You argue, because you think you are right and the other person is wrong.

[A quick side note for those of you who make the claim, "There is no right or wrong." If you have ever had an argument (and you know you have), you have proven that you are wrong. Even the statement, "There is no right or wrong," is hypocritical (is that statement right, or wrong?).]

But even more important, you argue with others because you wish the other person to understand that you are right. But what do you base your position upon? C.S. Lewis stated that this position is based on a commonly understood standard of right and wrong. A standard understood by everyone, everywhere.

The proof is so obvious that most people don't even think about it, and that is: sometimes, the other person agrees with you.

Think about that. You disagree with someone. You argue. You point out where they are wrong, and they agree with you. Clearly you can only reach agreement when the other person shares your standard for what is right, and what is wrong.

For brevity, I'll assume that you see the point. We can now agree on the existence of the fact that there is a commonly understood standard of right and wrong. Let's call the standard for right, "Law".

The fact that people disobey these laws does not prove that they do not exist, only that people disobey them. Nor is is acceptable to claim that differences in laws prove there is no universal standard. The differences in laws we find from place to place are more anomalies than opposites.

We are currently witnessing an example of this principle. The 2008 Olympics are winding down in Beijing, China. There are a number of athletes and tourists from around the world gathered together in and around the host city. But we don't witness chaos, we see cooperation. Why? Because humanity has a common in-born agreement of what the laws of behavior are.

Of course, none of us are very good at keeping these laws. Worse, when we break them, we make excuses to justify our behavior. Watch any child who just stole a cookie from the cookie jar to see this in action. Watch the creativity for explaining the action away, denying what happened, or describing why the theft is reasonable. Why? Because our inner sense of the law tells us we must explain our poor adherence to the law. We twist reason and fact to try to convince ourselves and others that if not for a set of factors outside of our control, we'd be wonderful people in complete harmony with the law.

One final point about this inner-known law: respected people around the world agree that these laws exist. Want proof?

Listen to comments about people like Mother Theresa, Ghandi, and others who try to improve the human condition. They're called reformers, role models, great philosophers, more... They received awards during their lives, and get significant coverage in school discussions and textbooks. Even many so-called atheists agree that Jesus was a "good man", and a role-model. Based on what? It must be based on the internal law.

Finally, these internal laws are certainly not instinct (instinct being that inner voice that insists we not endanger ourselves, make life harder than it already is, and that we must preserve our DNA). Mother Theresa would not have lived in harsh conditions, Ghandi would not have gone on hunger strikes or sought peace at any cost. Firemen wouldn't rush into burning buildings, and men would not offer their seat to a weak elderly person, if instinct controlled our actions.

All of this brings us to the key question about this law: Where did it come from?

The answer to that important question will have to wait until my next post.

Three More Popular World Religions...

Last time we looked at three of the world's most popular religions. Each had in common one key theme: people determine ultimate moral truth.

You, like me, might wonder: Suppose they're wrong? People are wrong about all sorts of things all the time. People frequently can't agree with each other, so they come to different conclusions. What if they're wrong about eternity? And, if people don't determine ultimate moral truth, then who, or what, does?

The three major religions we're about to discuss all agree that these humanistic philosophies are wrong. Moral truth, they argue, can only come from a supreme being. Let's take a quick look at these religions. They are: Islam, Judaism, and Christianity.

Islam teaches that after death your destination is either Paradise, or Hell. Allah is the name of their god. The only guaranteed way to Paradise is martyrdom. Everyone else must work their way into Paradise by complying with a series of rules known as Pillars.

Judaism is based on the teachings of the Jewish Bible (known as the Old Testament to Christians). The Old Testament teaches that there are two eternal destinations: Heaven, or Hell. To enter Heaven, you must have faith in God, named Yahweh, and follow His Laws. Failure to follow His law requires sacrificial atonement for that sin.

Christians believe that Jesus Christ is the God of the Old Testament Bible, who became human and lived among us. They believe that the New Testament, together with the Old, is the true and accurate Word of God (Yahweh) and that this one God is also three distinct persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. As with Jews, they believe in only two eternal destinations: Heaven or Hell. However, they believe that the only way to enter Heaven is to repent (turn from your sinful ways) and place all of your faith in the atoning work of Jesus Christ.

As with other faiths, there are cultural Muslims (another name for those who follow Islam), cultural Jews, and cultural Christians. By 'cultural' I mean people who loosely follow the religion but have no firm conviction or belief. Some can even be classified as agnostic or atheist, even though they attend church functions and self-identify with one of these religions.

If you spend any amount of time learning about Islam, Judaism, and Christianity, you'll quickly realize that their beliefs in eternity, and how to enter Heaven (or Paradise) are each unique. If truth is knowable (and it is), and if truth is unchanging (it is) then only one can be correct.

Is there a God? If so, which of these religions, if any, follows the truth about this Him? Is God even a "Him"?

We'll explore these questions, and more, next time.

One From Column A, Two From Column B

First, let me say that I'm very happy you're still vertical (see my previous post). About 150,000 others, unfortunately, won't be joining us today.

Now, on to today's topic.

I remember going to Chinese restaurants as a child. I was amazed by the number of selections on the menu. It seemed like you could order something different every time you visited, and never run out of selections.

I also recall how they sold combination plates. You could choose a main entree from Column A, then one, two, or three items from Column B, depending on the price. Using this method, you could personalize what appeared on your plate in endless ways.

That's fine for marketing and customer satisfaction, but it simply doesn't work for determining truth.

For example, on a math exam I can't choose a number from Column A, then from Column B choose my favorite operator, a second number, and then my personal choice for the answer to create my own personal answer-plate. Unless I choose the numbers carefully, I'll get the answer wrong.

I don't want to get the answer wrong on a math exam, and I certainly don't want to get the answer wrong if it matters for all of eternity.

Unfortunately, we're bombarded with beliefs about life after death that can look a lot like that Chinese restaurant menu. The number of choices from Column A is long, and limited only by man's imagination. The number of ways you can pick and choose components of a faith from the Column B of doctrine, philosophies, and rules allows us endless possibilities to create a lifestyle-plate to suit our personal desires.

Such a creation might make us comfortable for a time, but what if we create the wrong collection? How would we know it's wrong? Does it matter? Of course it does!

It matters because of something that many readers will find very hard to accept, and that is: Truth exists. In addition, truth is knowable.

But how do we determine what truth is? How can we know truth with regard to faith, life, death, and eternity?

Before we tackle that, let's take a look at a few of the choices from Column A, the world's major religions and philosophies.

Hinduism is a man-created set of beliefs. The beliefs that make up Hinduism are quite diverse. So diverse that you will find both agnostics (uncertain of the existence of God) and atheists (who dismiss the concept of God) who call themselves Hindu.

Hinduism is the world's third largest religion, and the oldest. Its beliefs have evolved over time, with many of them captured in various documents. There is no single god in Hinduism. There is no final creed or doctrine, and no single truth.

Even one of the most recognized followers of Hinduism recognized these limitations. Mahatma Ghandi said, "It is a constant torture to me that I am still so far from Him whom I know to be my very life and being." Why might Ghandi feel that he was so far from this supreme being that he sought, if he was in possession of the truth?

With little effort you can find a wealth of information on Hinduism. However, for our purposes this brief overview will do.

Closely related to Hinduism is Buddhism, the fourth largest of the world's religions. It too is based on man-created rules and teachings. The widely recognized founder of Buddhism, Budda Shakyamuni (usually referred to simply as "Buddha") saw himself as a teacher of self-discovered "truths".

Over the years, these truths have been augmented and modified. There is no central document or church. Because of this, you can also find agnostics and atheists who identify themselves as Buddhist and feel right at home. This is because the concept of God is not part of the core set of beliefs. Rather than pursue a god , they strive to live like their founder, known simply as the Buddha or the Enlightened One.

I think a fair summary of the core beliefs would be something like this: Life is filled with suffering. Suffering is caused by selfish desires. Suffering will end when all desires end. If you live like Buddha, desires and suffering will end. In the meantime, you are endlessly reincarnated to try, try again.

The other set of beliefs we'll look at today is what has become known as the New Age Movement.

New Age is harder to define. My wife would use the word "hodge-podge" to discuss its set of beliefs. It's sort of like the old saying, "Too many cooks spoil the broth." You sort of know what it is, but it's full of so many things it's hard to define with specificity.

In general, the New Age movement is a philosophy that is self-defined and regulated. It's filled with people who have pulled beliefs from a range of other religions, world-views, and philosophies, especially those of the East. Those who consider themselves New Agers believe that people can figure out what is ultimately true and what is ultimately right. In addition, what is ultimately true and right for you, might be different from what is true and right for everyone else. That, according to the New Ager, is perfectly O.K.

But, then again, New Agers can change their mind at any time, so by the time you read this, ultimate truth may be the same for everyone.

I can't ignore the fact that, if true, having everone define individual truths and right will always lead to complete chaos. New Agers seem to ignore this fact, though history proves it repeatedly.

I also can't ingore the fact that New Ager beliefs about life and eternity are sort of like the weather. If you don't like it right now, just wait a little while and it will change.

Let's have a summary for today.

New Age can't be true. If nothing is absolutely right, and nothing is absolutely wrong then nothing can be true either. Any set of beliefs that refuse to take a firm stand (other than insisting that everyone can take their own stand) is contradictory, and can't be true since truth is knowable and unchanging. New Age-ism might help people who wish to avoid conflict, but at most it's a philosophy that lasts only until a bigger, meaner New Ager comes along and tells you what his truth is. It also won't help you 1000 years from now.

What of Hinduism and Buddhism? I would argue, though others might disagree, that any philosophy based on rules, policies, and morals that are created by men, is fatally flawed. A quick look at the despots of history is all that is needed to show how evil mankind can be when given power and the authority to impose personal beliefs on those around him (or her).

You may not find my logic conclusive. That's O.K. for now. Even more important is the earlier statement: Truth exists and is knowable. If I can prove that Buddhism and Hinduism, and any other world religion, is in conflict with truth, then there is not need to argue further.

Next time we'll review a few more of the popular world religions. After that, we'll take a closer look at truth.

Life Is Great... And Then?

People say the most interesting things.

I used to work with a man, let's call him Bob, who would answer a morning greeting of "Hello, how are you?" with the matter of fact reply, "Still vertical."

It's early in the day. Everyone is getting down to work. Most people are in a good mood. It's all smiles and greetings.

Then Bob brings up death!

What were Bob's parents thinking? Didn't they teach him that people don't like to begin their day thinking about the last minutes of their life? Here I am enjoying my bagel and trying desperately to finalize a project, and Bob tells me that the best he can do is remind us that he's still alive. Maybe not tomorrow, or even later today, but at least for now Bob is upright and breathing. Well, yippee.

But, maybe Bob has it right. Maybe we should think about death early, so that we don't have to worry about it.

I'm not talking about worrying over the hospital bills, funeral arrangements, travel plans, announcements, thank you cards, etc. The people who are 'still vertical' will worry about all those details for you.

But what about preparing for the eternity that awaits after you take your last breath?

What will you be doing while your friends and family are gathering to remember your life?

Nothing? Reincarnating as a butterfly? Do you think you'll come back to live again as a different person, until you get this thing called life right? Or will you face a Creator who's a bit upset that you ignored all the signs and wonders He showed you, and now requires that you give an account for all the things you did to disobey Him?

Next time, we'll look at a few of these possibilities, and explore if any one is more probable than the others.

In the meantime, stay vertical!

Why Start the Faith-Full Witness Blog?

Everyone has a story to tell.

Rather than tell you my story, at least right off the bat, let me tell you two conclusions that I've reached as a result of my story.

1) The Bible is true. Literally.

2) We're all going to die.

In fact, in the time it takes most people to read to right here... twenty eight people took their last breath and died.

What if... fourteen seconds from now, you were one of those people?

What would happen to you?

Would you go to heaven, or hell?

How could you know for certain?

Perhaps you're not sure. If you keep reading, you'll find that this blog is written for you, but indirectly.

Perhaps you are certain. This blog is definitely written for you. Directly.

Stay tuned, and you'll both understand.