Part Seven of The World Beyond the Church

In this week’s blog—my last on “points of contact”—I provide seven topics of concern to many non-Christians. Depending on the person’s particular interest, all of them can be potential conversation starters and should provide opportunities for you to share the Christian perspective.

NATURE:  Many non-Christians claim they sense the presence God in nature. We explain why the God they sense in nature is the God revealed in Scripture. As creator, God revealed certain of His fundamental attributes in and through creation (Romans 1:20).

MORALITY:  All cultures maintain a similar understanding of right and wrong behavior. Where did this generic moral code, intrinsic to all cultures, originate (Rom. 2:14-15)? We point out it require a moral Lawgiver. This allows us to share why only the God of Scripture has the qualifications to be a moral Lawgiver.

SPIRITUAL YEARNINGS:  Virtually all people believe in deity and crave spiritual fulfillment. This is because God placed an innate awareness of Himself in the hearts all people—even if suppressed (Rom. 1:18-19; cf. Eccl. 3:11 ). This opens the door for a discussion on why only Christianity offers reasonable and verifiable evidence that the God they seek is revealed in Scripture.

SUFFERING AND EVIL:  Everyone agrees suffering and evil are real. Many people blame God or reject Him because He doesn’t stop it. Challenge unbelievers to remove God from the equation and then come up with a solution to suffering and evil. There is no solution if the God of Scripture doesn’t exist.

SCIENCE:  Most people trust science to reveal accurate truth. This can open a door for sharing scientific facts that confirm God’s existence and that He created life and the cosmos. Such evidence includes modern studies of the anthropic principle, astrophysics, information science, genetics, and microbiology.

SOCIAL SERVICES:  Hospitals, orphanages, relief organizations, and universities are vital elements of American society. All have their origins in Christianity.  Ask unbelievers what atheistic governments and non-Christian religions have contributed that bettered the human race?

FEAR OF DEATH:  Most people harbor a fear of death and wonder if there is an afterlife? Secular humanism and naturalism deny a future life. Pantheism offers only impersonal absorption. Other religions promote views of salvation that are irrational and can’t be substantiated. Why not examine the Bible? It can be checked-out and verified.

I explain the Christian perspective and provide evidences to support all these issues in my upcoming new book, Defending Your Faith: Reliable Answers for a New Generation of Spiritual Seekers and Skeptics. You can read a brief synopsis on my homepage.

There are many other points of contact from the world beyond the church. I’m not suggesting  they will always lead to a Gospel presentation. But they often do. At the least, they provide opportunities for us to explain the Christian perspective on issues. ©