Evidence That Demands A Verdict!
In 1972 Josh McDowell wrote a book called, Evidence That Demands a Verdict. It was basically a defense of the Bible and Christianity. It was the best apologetic work of that time and has been updated several times since it was published.
Many years ago I studied apologetics. It was one of the approaches I used when sharing my faith with people who claimed to be atheist or agnostic. To be honest I didn’t have much success with that approach. It usually turned into a war of words and a clashing of egos as to who had the best argument. I’m not saying Christians should never use apologetics to defend the faith but personally I didn’t have much luck with it.
There was a time not too long ago when Christian apologists would travel around with avowed atheists and invite people to come and watch a debate. Mostly Christians would show up and clap every time the Christian apologist scored a good point. By most accounts few if any people became Christians as a result of these debates.
Personally, I don’t like this idea. For Christianity to convince the brain it must at some point pass through the heart.
C.S. Lewis was an atheist and celebrated intellectual. He thought Christianity was illogical and nothing but rubbish. Lewis’s rigorous study of literature and philosophy began to undermine his atheism as he encountered Christian writings he found compelling. Lewis decided to become a theist but he was not ready to surrender his life to Christ. Lewis became friends with two heavyweight intellectuals who just happened to be Christians, J.R.R. Tolkien and Hugo Dyson. In time Lewis came around to Christianity. His brain led him to conclude the claims of Jesus were real but his heart sealed the deal. C.S. Lewis went on to write some of the true classics on Christianity. I read many of them in college and occasionally I quote him in my sermons. He is a champion of the Christian faith.
Today when I encounter people who don’t believe in God I never try to best them in an argument but I do point them toward the evidence. In Romans 1:19-20 (NIV) it says, “Since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so people are without excuse.”
The truth is no one can prove God exists and no one can prove God doesn’t exist. However there is a lot of evidence to support believing in God and Christianity.
If you feel like your lack of study in apologetics takes you out of the game nothing could be further from the truth. Your life is an apologetic! The very people who don’t believe in God and maybe even read anti-faith books are reading you. Your life speaks volumes to them. You are the evidence that demands a verdict.
Stay close to Jesus,
Steve