Part Three: Examples of Points of Contact All Christians Can Use

We saw in part one that points of contact are areas of mutual agreement between Christians and non-Christians from which fruitful conversations can emerge. Last week (part two) we saw that God Himself provides points of contact. He does this by instilling in all people everywhere, by virtue of our creation in His image, basic moral, spiritual, psychological, and other needs and commonalities. In this week’s blog article, we’ll look at five of ten specific examples of points of contact. All can be used with most of the non-Christians we encounter. Next week’s blog article will explore the remaining five. All ten points of contact that we’ll examine can open doors to congenial, thought-provoking discussions on subjects of importance and interest to both Christians and non-Christians. They will allow us to share the Christian perspective—and sometimes the gospel.

Nature:    Many unbelievers claim they feel the presence of God in nature. This is a point of contact. We explain why the God they sense in nature (creation) and the God of Scripture are one and the same. God created nature and has revealed certain of His fundamental attributes in His creation (Psalm 19: 1-4; Rom. 1:19-20).

Morality:    All people, in all cultures, and throughout all of history—in spite of differences in languages, customs, and religions—maintain a similar understanding of right and wrong. This points to a moral Lawgiver who has placed in the minds of all people an instinctive moral conscience (Romans 2:14-15). How do we account for the existence of essentially the same moral code in all cultures? Where does this commonality of right and wrong behavior originate, when cultures are so diverse in practically every other way? These kinds of questions are great conversation starters.

Spiritual yearnings:    Most people believe in deity and crave a relationship with God. Atheism is an anomaly—people learn to disbelieve in God. This is because God has placed an innate awareness of Himself in the hearts of all people (Eccl. 3:1), including those who suppress that knowledge and turn to false (imaginary) gods (Rom. 1:18-19, 21, 28). This opens the door for a discussion of what is God like? and the fact that only Christianity offers objective evidence that it alone is God’s sole revelation.

Here’s another way to look at it. Non-Christian worldviews are not totally false in all their components. All religious worldviews contain elements of truth. Now don’t misunderstand me; I’m not saying that non-Christian religions lead to God. But I am saying that, through general revelation, many religions do contain ingredients of truth, and these areas of light afford points of contact. We should identify these points, show their similarities with Christian teachings, and then move on to explain their fuller revelation in Scripture.

Aesthetics:    The family of man shares an appreciation of beauty and a love of art, music, and literature. Even extinct and the most primitive societies create art and music. This is a result of being created in the image of God; our God-given capacity to create is a reflection of the God who created us. This too can lead to a discussion of the nature of God. Where did this inborn propensity and ability to create come from? Why is it a worldwide cultural phenomenon?

Universal Sin:    Virtually all fiction books and movies include the perpetual battle between good and evil. Likewise, every human being struggles against lust, greed, self-centeredness, jealousy, envy, pride, and many other universal human foibles. Thousands of years of civilization have not tempered these urges. Explore with unbelievers this universal predisposition to sin. How did it become ingrained in the human race? Why do all cultures condemn these same kinds of sinful behaviors? What is the remedy for the sin issue?

I’m not suggesting that these five points of contact will automatically lead to a gospel presentation. The purpose is to engage in dialogues that allow us to explain the Christian perspective on issues, and to offer an apologetic defense of our views. Remember, Christianity is truth. If we have done our homework, we will successfully defend our positions against counterarguments. And sometimes God will open a door of opportunity for sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. ©

Next week’s blog will examine five more common but fruitful points of contact: pain and suffering, science, ethics, social services, and fear of death.