I’d like to give a little excursion before we get back into the Scriptural examination of the doctrine of the Trinity. I was at the ice cream parlor yesterday getting my usual. They have a question up of “Who wrote Candide?” with the correct answer resulting in free sprinkles. I told them it was Voltaire to which we began talking about philosophers. Since I’m a regular, it makes it much easier.
Now I don’t want to give any impression of hostility in this description of the account either. These were both nice girls and I did have a good conversation with the one I was talking with. As we discussed the philosophers, she told me that one area that she really hadn’t got to study in too much was religion and it was something that she didn’t know much about.
So I started first with asking about what it was. That got into a discussion about moral principles and rituals that were believed to come from a deity. She first said that they all had some sort of deity but caught herself in time as there are some religions that do not affirm a deity, such as some schools of Buddhistic thought.
She told me that she had grown up with parents who were Jehovah’s Witnesses. I had great sympathy at that point. I also told her that by and large, it seems that if you want to know what Jehovah’s Witnesses believe, just take a look at orthodox Christianity and Jehovah’s Witnesses believe the opposite.
I then asked her if she had ever really considered the claims of Jesus Christ. She told me that she hadn’t but wanted to stress that she wasn’t all anti-Jesus or anti-Christianity. I was pleased to hear that, but then had to come with what the Scriptures say and said “Well, you know, if the Bible is true in accurately recording the words of Jesus, and I believe I can tell you why I think it is, he said that you were either for him, or against him.”
It was at this point that I brought up the point about Jesus claiming to be Lord and God and that those who follow him must make an absolute surrender and I said “Now that’s a serious claim”, and she did wisely agree that it is a serious claim. I hope that those who don’t even believe Jesus said that would agree that it is.
I then told her about the resurrection and that I’d staked my eternity on it and said “Why not study this? Forget all about organized religion and everything else. If this claim is bogus, you don’t need to look any further. It’s true. If, on the other hand, this claim is true, then Christianity is true and you need to take the words of Jesus seriously.” I gave her the name of the book “The Case for Christ” and she said she’d get a copy. If she hadn’t, I had offered to get her one. I also told her to take any notes she wants while reading if she has any questions and I’ll be glad to answer them.
Now why did I bring this up? To remind us why we’re doing this study. What Christ said was serious. Those are the most revolutionary claims that anyone has ever uttered and we Christians who say we believe them need to take them seriously as well.
Are you?
Pray for this girl and for me also as I continue this kind of evangelism. These are the kinds of encounters I enjoy the most and I hope to have more of them.
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