The God of Demonstrations

Sharing the gospel with unbelievers seems to be getting harder. The relative wealth and prosperity of most Americans leaves little room for the message of salvation when people don’t see their need to be saved. The post-modern conviction that there is no such thing as truth, let alone absolute truth hinders the presentation of God’s Word as ultimate truth. Add to this the increasingly pervasive teaching of critical race theory which insists all white people are racist xenophobes, and many formerly innocent believers suddenly become the enemy.

Several years ago I wrote that Christians must come to terms with some hard truth contained in Scripture: the God presented in the Bible does not always look inviting (See Daily Bible Reading). Despite our reluctance to begin talking to the lost abut God, it is something we must do. In my book, Lead a Horse to Water, I suggested several ways to open the door to spiritual conversations with unbelievers. Our love for the lost, commanded by Scripture, should drive us to find ways to engage our neighbors. A full understanding of who God is remains an essential resource.

Because the message of the Cross is one of punishment and atonement, the twin concepts of morality and responsibility must be dealt with. There are few people, even among so-called atheists who completely reject all facets of morality. The most hardened atheist will not agree that you have the right to kill him if your moral system allows murder. Everyone knows some things are right and some things are wrong. One way to bring God into the discussion is to present Him as one option (among many) who can suggest what’s right and what’s wrong. A logical, historical argument can be made that God’s system of justice has worked exceptionally well for thousands of years. In fact, many competing moral systems either draw from the Judeo-Christian tradition or else mirror it closely.

Many people today are repulsed by the judgmental character of the God of the Bible. “Love,” as defined loosely by each person, is the supreme principle for many moderns. They have difficulty aligning love and justice in one motion. However, this is precisely what the Bible reveals.  A personal, loving God made rules that benefit humans universally. That same personal, loving God expects moral character to be present in those He loves, although He loves unconditionally. There’s the kicker. God loves me whether I do right or don’t, but if I claim to love this God, claim to want Him as a positive influence in my life, I must make the effort to live according to the rules He prescribes.

Because God has demonstrated how love and judgment can go hand in hand, the Bible can be used as a historical proof-text for the premise. Although there are others, the prime example of this principle is found in the Cross of Calvary. Adam was kicked out of the Garden of Eden for his transgression, but God proved His love for him by providing a path to redemption. That path ended at Calvary when the God/Man, Jesus, paid the price for Adam’s sin. Wonder of wonders, that payment can be appropriated by anyone who expresses belief in the act and trusts God for the forgiveness. That believer must also trust that God’s rules for living are in his best interest and try to follow them.

Psychiatrists report that guilt is one of the most prevalent causes for their patients’ unrest. This makes sense. People know intuitively that rules exist, and they have failed to follow them perfectly. The Bible believer can present a set of well-established rules and the way to remedy a failure to follow those rules. The ugliness and horror of the Cross of Calvary demonstrates how much God hates sin. Judgment. The gift of grace for believers demonstrates the culmination of the long-running pursuit by God to redeem His creation. Love.

I purposely crafted this argument using as few “religious” words as possible. Most moderns no longer have a vocabulary of terms drawn from Scripture or preaching. They don’t read the Bible and they don’t attend church. They do feel the universal human need Solomon spoke of when he identified the God-sourced longing he called, “eternity in the human heart.” If you can show that God demonstrated how to meet that longing, you have presented the gospel in a way anyone can understand if they are willing. Pray that God will put people in your way that need to hear the message. You will be surprised what happens.

Related posts: God Was Pleased; Bringing the Kingdom; The Goodness of Wrath; I Don’t Believe in God; Rolling Thunder; Apologies to Rahm Emmanuel