World Religions in a Nutshell (22 page)

A Fly on the Rock

Despite these examples in Scripture, many Christians go fishing with powerful and attractive apologetics but leave out the hook. They talk about the existence of God, the infallibility of Scripture, archeological findings, creationism, the fallacy of evolution, the age of the earth, the depth of dust on the moon, etc., but they don’t see the necessity of using the Law to bring the knowledge of sin.

Let’s be a fly on a rock and listen to a well-equipped apologetical fisher of men. He throws a line toward an unbeliever. There is a nibble, and a conversation begins. Good reason for God’s existence is given. Back the sinner comes with an argument for atheism. The Christian quotes Scripture. The atheist retaliates with an argument about “circular reasoning.” And there begins an intellectual battle. One says that creation is proof for God’s existence and the other says it’s the mere product of billions of years of evolution. It’s a fascinating conversation—an intellectually challenging match
of wits for both parties.

However, the argument has no resolution. It seems to be going on forever and going nowhere. Suddenly, the Christian brings out a powerful point that leaves the atheist with his mouth open. He has no comeback. He is defeated. It’s all over. He has lost the argument about the existence of God. Does he then say, “You are right and I am wrong. There is a God and I have sinned against Him. What should I do?” No! Instead he says, “Okay. What about bats? The Bible calls them birds!! Huh? And how about God advocating genocide, and what about slavery? And how about the killing of women who aren’t virgins on their wedding night!
Your God is nothing but a wicked tyrant!”

There is a very good reason that he isn’t giving up the argument. It is because he is thoroughly enjoying the pleasures of sin, and didn’t know that life could be so good. Now a religious nut has come along who wants to put an end to all that pleasure. Horrors! He wants him to sit in a boring church, singing old hymns, listening to a deathly boring preacher, and mindlessly clutching a book filled with fairytales. Give up? Are you kidding?

So the unbeliever is going to fight this battle with tooth and nail. He is going to fortify his hedonistic lifestyle with the zeal of a Pharisee, and he will do it with every intellectual argument he can find. And he can easily find websites that give a stack of arguments that promise to justify godlessness. There he can arm himself with a mass of rabbit trails down which he can send the unsuspecting Christian.

Remember, what has gone on between the two of them has been a battle of intellects. Every time a battle is won by the Christian, another skirmish is started. A sinner will use his intellect as a shield to keep the Christian away from his conscience. So if the Christian really wants to win him to the Kingdom of God, he must get to the heart by quickly and purposefully pushing the shield aside and addressing the conscience. He will never give up his darling sins otherwise.

The Scriptures warn, “Each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death” (James 1:15). The sin the unbeliever so loves truly is a “deadly” sin. The lethal poison he drinks is sweet to his taste, but it will take him to Hell. He doesn’t believe that because he has no knowledge of sin (see Romans 7:7). Without understanding the consequences
of sin, he continues to drink iniquity like water, and he will fight to the death for the right to do so.

Taking Control

Let’s say I start a spiritual conversation and have a nibbling fish. He is arguing about bacteria, fossils, Zeus, Thor, and so-called biblical contradictions, and quoting Richard Dawkin’s
hateful words. As he says God is a monster and Jesus was a liar, I quietly think to myself, “The Jerk.” Then, motivated by love, I deliberately take control of the conversation and jerk the Law into his rapidly moving jaw. I am a fisher of men, and I don’t want this man to be cast into the lake of fire. I don’t want him to be damned in Hell forever. I therefore don’t let the fish dictate where we are going.

I ask, “Do you think you are a good person?” He says he knows that he’s a good person (see Proverbs 20:6). I ask, “Do you think you have kept the Ten Commandments?” He says he doesn’t believe in them. I tell him that I wasn’t asking if he believed in them; I’m asking if he has kept them. I say, “Let’s go through some of them and see how you will do on Judgment Day.” He says he doesn’t believe in Judgment Day. So I say, “Let’s just suppose that there is one, and see how you will do. Have you ever told a lie? Have you ever stolen something?”

This is what Paul did in Romans 2:21–24. He said, “You, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that a man should not steal, do you steal [Eighth Commandment]? You who say, ‘Do not commit adultery,’ do you commit adultery [Seventh Commandment]? You who abhor idols [First and Second Commandments], do you rob temples? You who make your boast in the law, do you dishonor God through breaking the law? For ‘the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you [Third Commandment],’ as it is written.
’”

This is also what Jesus did in Mark 10:18,19: “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.
’”
He was using the Law to bring the knowledge of sin.

The only thing that will make a sin-loving sinner give up the battle is the fear of the Lord. Scripture says it is fear that will cause him to depart from evil (see Proverbs 16:6). If he doesn’t fear future punishment, he won’t depart from sin, and the way to produce the fear of the Lord is to do what Jesus did: point to the Law. It’s to do what Paul did: point to the Law. The sinner must be made to tremble (see Acts 24:25). Jerk the hook into the jaw, and do it quickly.

Knowledge that God has appointed a Day in which He will judge the world in righteousness makes sinners see that it’s in their best interest to depart from sin. But, if I may say so, we depart somewhat unwillingly. Fleeing from wrath doesn’t produce contrition (sorrow for sin). Seeing the cross in all its horror does. Knowing that I am a lawbreaker, and that there are terrible consequences for my actions, makes me fear. But seeing Almighty God pay my fine in the life’s blood of His precious Son brings me sorrow. It breaks my hard heart. The Law produces terror. The cross produces contrition. Without the Law that cruel cross has little meaning. The greater I see my sin in the light of God’s Law (see Romans 7:13), the greater I will understand and appreciate the mercy shown to me at Calvary’s cross.

So, use good apologetics. Fish with the best bait you can find. Then carefully hide the hook, and as soon as the fish nibbles, jerk the line—swing to the Law. Don’t wait. Do it quickly. Don’t let the sinner shield his conscience for another precious minute. He may not have that long.

My ministry partner, Kirk Cameron, found himself on a plane from Los Angeles to Colorado. Shortly after the flight began, he heard an announcement from the captain saying that the landing gear hadn’t retracted correctly, so they were turning back to LAX.
The captain soberly told everyone to familiarize themselves with the emergency procedure, and then he asked marshals and military personnel on board to man the emergency exits. This was serious.

Kirk decided that he had better witness to the people sitting next to him. He told them that it was at times like this that it was a good idea to make sure you are right with God. He then took them through the Ten Commandments and shared the good news of the cross.

As they approached the landing, the captain said, “Brace!
Brace! Brace!” and the flight attendant kept saying every 60 seconds, “Head down! Head down!” It was extremely traumatic. Kirk said that as they approached the ground, all he could think of was his wife and six children.

Fortunately, the actual landing was without incident. Here’s the point. Kirk said that when he spoke to those who sat next to him, he didn’t talk to them about the age of the earth or evolution. He knew that there was an extreme urgency for him to address their conscience and talk about the awkward issues of sin, righteousness, and judgment.

Everyone
is currently in emergency mode. Death could snatch them into eternity in a heartbeat. So, take courage for their sake, and cut to the chase.

Witnessing to an Atheist

You:
Hello. How are you doing?

April:
Okay.

You:
Where are you from?

April:
Berkeley.

You:
Interesting. My name is [your name here].

April:
I’m April.

You:
Nice to meet you, April. I have a question for you. What
do you think happens after someone dies?

April:
Nothing.

You:
How do you know that?

April:
It’s just something I believe.

You:
Are you an atheist?

April:
Yes, I am.