It is not unusual for me to be asked why I believe so firmly that I am right about my faith. In answer I will offer a brief explanation why I believe what I do. First to philosophy. I know I am very Western or occidental in this, but I cannot get comfortable with the Eastern (oriental) mystics' concept of a universe without reason and logic. Most of the religions from the East are based on the idea that the world humans experience is meaningless: there is no point trying to figure things out, because there are no answers. The height of human experience in the Eastern way of thinking is to empty the mind of everything -- reason, emotion, memory, everything. This, they say, is the path to true fulfilment. That just doesn't work for me.
After the philosophical reasons come the historical. There is no other figure in history quite like Jesus. There have been many good teachers and other charismatic leaders, even some who claimed to be divine. But none can match Jesus' performance: he came back from the dead to validate his claim of divinity. You don't have to rely on the Bible alone to believe this astounding fact. Many secular sources confirm that people who were Jesus' contemporaries swore to the death (literally) that he was alive. It's hard to argue with an eye witness if you weren't there too. (And no, none of the theories against the resurrection hold water.)
Another historical fact that is just about as miraculous as the resurrection is the Bible itself. Name one other book that can make any of the Bible's claims. Written across a thousand years in 66 books with 40 different authors, the Bible contains one unified message from Genesis to Revelation: God made humans for Himself; they turned away; He is driving history to bring His people back. And you can't ignore the hundreds of fulfilled prophecies; the statistical probability of chance fulfillment is staggering beyond reason. (No, I don't buy the detractors' argument that the prophecies were written after the events and predated. Archaeology soundly rebuts that canard.)
Finally there is the spiritual proof. This one is difficult to present because it is the strongest argument to the individual who experiences it, while being the weakest defense against those who have not. One can point to thousands of transformed lives over the centuries as proof that Christianity "works." Yet doubtless there are Buddhist, Muslim and Zoroastrian conversions which seem to contradict Christianity's exclusive claims. All I can say is that I know that I know that I know that the Spirit of God dwells in me and that He feeds me, leads me and gives me a sense of peace and assurance that is undeniable.
After the philosophical reasons come the historical. There is no other figure in history quite like Jesus. There have been many good teachers and other charismatic leaders, even some who claimed to be divine. But none can match Jesus' performance: he came back from the dead to validate his claim of divinity. You don't have to rely on the Bible alone to believe this astounding fact. Many secular sources confirm that people who were Jesus' contemporaries swore to the death (literally) that he was alive. It's hard to argue with an eye witness if you weren't there too. (And no, none of the theories against the resurrection hold water.)
Another historical fact that is just about as miraculous as the resurrection is the Bible itself. Name one other book that can make any of the Bible's claims. Written across a thousand years in 66 books with 40 different authors, the Bible contains one unified message from Genesis to Revelation: God made humans for Himself; they turned away; He is driving history to bring His people back. And you can't ignore the hundreds of fulfilled prophecies; the statistical probability of chance fulfillment is staggering beyond reason. (No, I don't buy the detractors' argument that the prophecies were written after the events and predated. Archaeology soundly rebuts that canard.)
Finally there is the spiritual proof. This one is difficult to present because it is the strongest argument to the individual who experiences it, while being the weakest defense against those who have not. One can point to thousands of transformed lives over the centuries as proof that Christianity "works." Yet doubtless there are Buddhist, Muslim and Zoroastrian conversions which seem to contradict Christianity's exclusive claims. All I can say is that I know that I know that I know that the Spirit of God dwells in me and that He feeds me, leads me and gives me a sense of peace and assurance that is undeniable.
When it all comes down, the choice of a belief system will necessarily involve faith. (That was redundant.) Whether you choose Christianity, Hinduism or Voodoo, you will come to a point where you must give yourself over to faith. The real choice then is whether you will choose to place your self in the hands of Jesus, Vishnu or Satan or whomever. I choose Jesus. It is not a blind choice (like some say, "Blind faith.") It is faith in a set of revealed propositions which satisfy my requirements for a world-view. In other words, it works for me.
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