Many times I have heard this statement, "I believe in God, but I just don't get this Jesus thing."

You and I understand it, and we don't require in-depth information and explanations; we use the Bible as our source of truth. Those who do not read and study the Bible require much more input. To that end, I have spent some time studying in order to be able to help the seekers to understand who and why Jesus, but in non-Bible references to help them understand it.

First put yourself in the other person's shoes. Assume this role, you are not a Christian, you have little or no knowledge of the Bible and no understanding of the Gospel. Be patient, tolerant and understanding. Take on a Christ-like spirit.

It has been my experiences that the "redemptive" aspect of Jesus is a prominent point of controversy and lack of understanding with non-believers. Folks ask; why is Jesus necessary if we have an all-knowing and all-powerful God.

Many, if not most, of the non-Christians I have encountered feel believing there is a God and living a good, clean moral life earns them a ticket to heaven. They don't grasp the fact, one can not earn their ticket, it's a take it or leave it free gift. One asked if I can't get to heaven by being good, then why should I be good? You can spend a whole day answering that one.

Why Jesus? C.S. Lewis put this way, "If God was prepared to let us off the hook, why on earth did He not do so? Or if Jesus was substituted for us to take our punishment, what possible point could there be in punishing an innocent man?"

Lewis continues, "On the other hand, if you think of debt, there is plenty of point in a person who has some assets paying it on behalf of someone who has not. Or if you take 'paying the penalty,' not in the sense of being punished, but in the more general sense of 'footing the bill', then, of course , it is a matter of common experience that when one person has got himself into a hole, the trouble of getting him out usually falls on a kind friend." In the case of fallen man that kind friend is Jesus.

Once you get past proving the absolute necessity of Jesus, His death and resurrection you're on your way to helping this person sincerely seek Jesus.

Next time we're going to talk about "Repentance," the second most difficult aspect of Christianity to sell a non-believer on. Pride is the opposite of repentance and mankinds most bitter pill. About repentance, C.S. Lewis said, "repentance is no fun at all. It is something much harder than merely eating humble pie."

Posted by Jerry Kirksey at 5:29 PM - Send Comments - Email This Post