What if Christianity is True?

11 thoughts on “What if Christianity is True?”

1. Ken August 6, 2011 at 1:42 pm

   One more ponderance I have been having is this:
   First I think I would like to establish with you a few basic beliefs or ideologies of what you perceive of as our God.
   Would you agree that God is ALL POWERFUL?
   Would you agree that God is ALL GOOD or BENEVOLENT?

   If you agree to both of these, then all powerful includes knowing the future, and being all knowing.
   God therefore knew before he even created Lucifer, that he would rebel, and therefore it was part of Gods plan to have Lucifer rebel or God could have simply altered the outcome before it ever happened.
   The same with people that are Heaven or Hell bound. God already knows the outcome before we are even born. He knows every second of our life from birth to death. He knows of our future choices. Some may choose to sin early on and later be witnessed to by a good christian such as yourself and then repent to go to heaven (but God already knew this). And conversely he also knows who will reject him to their death (no matter the attempted Christian interventions) before that person was even born.
   So is a God that knows without a doubt who is going to end up in Hell for eternity of suffering before they are even born still considered LOVING?
   Or a God that planned and intended to have Lucifer behave the way he did and rebel against him?
   Or there is the possibility then that God may be loving, but NOT ALL POWERFUL.
   Ultimately, should we still call such an entity… “God”?

   1. loswl August 6, 2011 at 5:55 pm

      This is not an easy question to answer and I am sure you knew the gravity of the question before you asked it, most likely no one can answer it sufficiently for you…

      This is actually a two-part question. The first part is “Did God know Satan would rebel and Adam and Eve would sin?” The answer lies in what the Bible teaches about God’s knowledge. We know from Scripture that God is omniscient, which literally means “all-knowing.” Job 37:16; Psalm 139:2-4, 147:5; Proverbs 5:21; Isaiah 46:9-10; and 1 John 3:19-20 leave no doubt that God’s knowledge is infinite and that He knows everything that has happened in the past, is happening now, and will happen in the future.

      Looking at some of the superlatives in these verses—“perfect in knowledge”; “his understanding has no limit”; “he knows everything”—it is clear that God’s knowledge is not merely greater than our own, but it is infinitely greater. He knows all things in totality. Isaiah 46:10 declares He not only knows everything, but He controls everything as well. How else could He “make known” to us what would happen in the future and state unequivocally that His plans will come to pass? So, did God know that Adam and Eve were going to sin? Did He know Lucifer would rebel against Him and become Satan? Yes! Absolutely! Were they out of His control at any time? Absolutely not. If God’s knowledge is not perfect, then there is a deficiency in His nature. Any deficiency in God’s nature means He cannot be God, for God’s very essence requires the perfection of all His attributes. Therefore, the answer to the first question must, by necessity, be “yes.”

      Moving on to the second part of the question, “Why did God create Satan and Adam and Eve knowing ahead of time they were going to sin?” This question is a little trickier because we are asking a “why” question to which the Bible does not usually provide comprehensive answers. Despite that, we should be able to come to a limited understanding if we examine some biblical passages. To begin, we have already seen that God is omniscient and nothing can happen outside of His knowledge. So, if God knew that Satan would rebel and fall from heaven and that Adam and Eve would sin, yet He created them anyway, it must mean that the fall of mankind was part of God’s sovereign plan from the beginning. No other answer makes sense given what we have been saying thus far.

      Now we must be careful to note that Adam and Eve falling into sin does not mean that God is the author of sin, nor that he tempted Adam and Eve to sin (James 1:13). The fall serves the purpose of God’s overall plan for creation and mankind. This, again, must be the case, or else the fall of mankind would never have happened.

      If we consider what some theologians call the “meta-narrative” (or overarching story line) of Scripture, we see that biblical history can be roughly divided into three main sections: 1) paradise (Genesis 1–2); 2) paradise lost (Genesis 3 – Revelation 20); and 3) paradise regained (Revelation 21–22). By far the largest part of the narrative is devoted to moving from paradise lost to paradise regained. At the center of this meta-narrative is the cross. The cross was planned from the very beginning (Acts 2:23). It was foreknown and foreordained that Christ would go to the cross and give His life as a ransom for many (Matthew 20:28)—those chosen by God’s foreknowledge and predestined to be His people (Ephesians 1:4-5).

      Reading Scripture very carefully and taking what has been said so far, we are led to the following conclusions:

      1. The rebellion of Satan and the fall of mankind were foreknown and foreordained by God.
      2. Those who would become the people of God, the elect, were foreknown and foreordained by God.
      3. The crucifixion of Christ, as atonement for God’s people, was foreknown and foreordained by God.

      So, we are left with the following questions: Why create mankind with the knowledge of the fall? Why create mankind knowing that only some would be “saved?” Why send Jesus knowingly to die for a people that knowingly fell into sin? From man’s perspective, it does not make sense. If the meta-narrative moves from paradise, to paradise lost, to paradise regained, why not just go straight to paradise regained and avoid the whole paradise lost interlude?

      The only conclusion we can come to, in view of the above assertions, is that God’s purpose was to create a world in which His glory could be manifest in all its fullness. The glory of God is the overarching goal of creation. In fact, it is the overarching goal of everything He does. The universe was created to display God’s glory (Psalm 19:1), and the wrath of God is revealed against those who fail to glorify God (Romans 1:23). Our sin causes us to fall short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23), and in the new heaven and new earth, the glory of God is what will provide light (Revelation 21:23). The glory of God is manifest when His attributes are on perfect display, and the story of redemption is part of that.

      The best place to see this in Scripture is Romans 9:19-24. Wrath and mercy display the riches of God’s glory, and you cannot get either without the fall of mankind. Therefore, all of these actions—fall, election, redemption, atonement—serve the purpose of glorifying God. When man fell into sin, God’s mercy was immediately displayed in not killing him on the spot. God’s patience and forbearance were also on display as mankind fell deeper into sin prior to the flood. God’s justice and wrath were on display as He executed judgment during the flood, and God’s mercy and grace were demonstrated as He saved Noah and his family. God’s wrath and justice will be revealed in the future when He deals with Satan once and for all (Revelation 20:7-10).

      The ultimate exhibition of God’s glory was at the cross where His wrath, justice, and mercy met. The righteous judgment of all sin was executed at the cross, and God’s grace was on display in pouring His wrath for sin on His Son, Jesus, instead of on us. God’s love and grace are on display in those whom He has saved (John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8-9). In the end, God will be glorified as His chosen people worship Him for all eternity with the angels, and the wicked will also glorify God as His justice and righteousness will finally be vindicated by the eternal punishment of all unrepentant sinners (Philippians 2:11). None of this could have come to pass without the rebellion of Satan and the fall of Adam and Eve.

      The classic objection to this position is that God’s foreknowledge and foreordination of the fall damages man’s freedom. In other words, if God created mankind with full knowledge of the impending fall into sin, how can man be responsible for his sin? The best answer to this question can be found in the Westminster Confession of Faith chapter III:

      “God, from all eternity, did, by the most wise and holy counsel of his own will, freely, and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass; yet so, as thereby neither is God the author of sin, nor is violence offered to the will of the creatures; nor is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away, but rather established” (WFC, III.1)

      What this is saying is that God ordains future events in such a way that our freedom and the working of secondary causes (e.g., laws of nature) are preserved. Theologians call this “concurrence.” God’s sovereign will flows concurrently with our free choices in such a way that our free choices always result in the carrying out of God’s will (by “free choices” we mean that our choices are not coerced by outside influences).

      To summarize, God knew that Satan would rebel and that Adam and Eve would sin in the Garden of Eden. With that knowledge, God still created Lucifer and Adam and Eve because creating them and ordaining the fall was part of His sovereign plan to manifest His glory in all its fullness. Even though the fall was foreknown and foreordained, our freedom in making choices is not violated because our free choices are the means by which God’s will is carried out.

      If the question of Gods love is to be answered, then you will have to first believe that He actually exist (the God of the Bible), if you do not believe that He exist, then the question is futile! Now lets assume that you believe that He exist. Then you would realize that without His love you would not even be alive to answer the question, because as soon as the first human being sinned, he/she would have been wiped from the face of the earth. Well that did happen, but Gods love allowed life to go on and even though man still went ahead and did his own thing, Gods love spared some of us from the flood that was meant to wipe all of us from the face of the earth, but God went further, He sent his son to die on the cross so that we can be forgiven of our sins. That sounds like a loving God to me..what do you think?

      gotquestions.org

      1. Godserv August 7, 2011 at 11:38 pm

         I think another thing we should consider is that, if God knew before hand that Lucifer, Adam and Eve would rebel against Him, – it means, He would definitely eventually create them.

         However if God changed His mind and did not create them – then His knowledge would be flawed, because by not creating them He would nullify His foreknowledge.

         He did not damage His character by going through with the creation – the only character that was destroyed was those who rebelled, because they were made good.

         We can, with some degree, think of it like a car manufacturer (though they can’t tell the future). Car manufacturers build cars knowing that people may meet in accidents if they do not follow the rules of the road, but they build them anyways, because both them and the governing bodies have put in place rules and devices that can aid in preventing accidents.

         However, in the event of accidents, we cannot blame the manufacturer (if it’s not not caused by a manufacturer neglect). We cannot say car manufacturers are evil or bad car manufacturer.

         1. loswl August 8, 2011 at 12:37 pm

            I thought about the example you gave about the car manufacturer and I see what you are saying, however the example has some flaws, because it is dealing with human terminologies that can be picked apart quite easily. The manufacturer would have to be a perfect manufacturer (God) and he would have to place the manufactured car in a perfect environment(Paradise). If an accident would to occur in that perfect environment, then we would need a human element, thus bringing God and His plans, The fall of Lucifer and the fall of man back into the equation. But I get what you are saying…The manufacturer has the innate ability to create something “good”. He creates the car, knowing that in this imperfect world, their will be accidents, the person who is buying the car, does not go into the show room saying…this car manufacturer is evil, rather the person admires the car and buys it because it is a “good” car that will help him get around town, if he gets in an accident that has nothing relating to the design and manufacturing of the car, the driver still does not call the manufacturer evil, instead he tries to take care of the accident.

            I love what you said here:…

            “I think another thing we should consider is that, if God knew before hand that Lucifer, Adam and Eve would rebel against Him, – it means, He would definitely eventually create them.

            However if God changed His mind and did not create them – then His knowledge would be flawed, because by not creating them He would nullify His foreknowledge.”

            That was very simple and insightful, I never thought of it that way. 🙂

2. Ken August 6, 2011 at 12:54 pm

   What if Vampires are true? Should we wear garlic around our necks “just in case”?
   Christianity has just as much chance of being true as the over 2,000 other recognized world faiths. Do you spend an equal amount of time devoted to all those other religions that might equally be true?
   What about Leprechauns? Invisible Unicorns? Faries? We also cannot absolutely DIS-prove their existence, just as we cannot absolutely prove or dis-prove the Christian God.
   Also, How can one claim to KNOW that their religion, Christianity is the correct one and all other religions are wrong? Have you equally studied and given equal consideration to all other religions or other ways of thinking? Or are you in your religion simply out of ignorance of other religions or ideologies? Are you in your religion simply because thats what you were born into and told was correct by your parents or local community?
   If you had been born in Ancient Norway, would you likely believe in Odin and Thor? If you were born in ancient Egypt, would you likely worship RA? If you were born into a traditional middle eastern community, would you likely be Muslim?

   1. loswl August 6, 2011 at 5:50 pm

      There are a lot of “what if” questions in this world, but most of these questions can be answered, for example we know that Vampires are not true because Bram Stoker wrote the first major novel about a vampire. It is called Dracula. Which of course has fascinated people for generations since it’s first publication. Many movies have been spun off from that one novel. But I think your question goes a little deeper that just the “what ifs” about vampires, fairies, leprechauns and invisible unicorns. Your question seems to be simple..is Christianity and the God of the Bible true and if so why are all other religions considered false?

      There is no doubt that the number of different religions in the world makes it a challenge to know which one is correct. First, let’s consider some thoughts on the overall subject and then look at how one might approach the topic in a manner that can actually get to a right conclusion about God. The challenge of different answers to a particular issue is not unique to the topic of religion. For example, you can sit 100 math students down, give them a complex problem to solve, and it is likely that many will get the answer wrong. But does this mean that a correct answer does not exist? Not at all. Those who get the answer wrong simply need to be shown their error and know the techniques necessary to arrive at the correct answer.

      How do we arrive at the truth about God? We use a systematic methodology that is designed to separate truth from error by using various tests for truth, with the end result being a set of right conclusions. Can you imagine the end results a scientist would arrive at if he went into the lab and just started mixing things together with no rhyme or reason? Or if a physician just started treating a patient with random medicines in the hope of making him well? Neither the scientist nor the physician takes this approach; instead, they use systematic methods that are methodical, logical, evidential, and proven to yield the right end result.

      This being the case, why should theology—the study of God—be any different? Why believe it can be approached in a haphazard and undisciplined way and still yield right conclusions? Unfortunately, this is the approach many take, and this is one of the reasons why so many religions exist. That said, we now return to the question of how to reach truthful conclusions about God. What systematic approach should be used? First, we need to establish a framework for testing various truth claims, and then we need a roadmap to follow to reach a right conclusion. Here is a good framework to use:

      1. Logical consistency—the claims of a belief system must logically cohere to each other and not contradict in any way. As an example, the end goal of Buddhism is to rid oneself of all desires. Yet, one must have a desire to rid oneself of all desires, which is a contradictory and illogical principle.

      2. Empirical adequacy—is there evidence to support the belief system (whether the evidence is rational, externally evidential, etc.)? Naturally, it is only right to want proof for important claims being made so the assertions can be verified. For example, Mormons teach that Jesus lived in North America. Yet there is absolutely no proof, archaeological or otherwise, to support such a claim.

      3. Existential relevancy—the belief system must conform to reality as we know it, and it must make a meaningful difference in the life of the adherent. Deism, for example, claims that God just threw the spinning world into the universe and does not interact with those who live on it. How does such a belief impact someone in a day-to-day manner? In short, it does not.

      The above framework, when applied to the topic of religion, will help lead one to a right view of God and will answer the four big questions of life:

      1. Origin – where did we come from?
      2. Ethics – how should we live?
      3. Meaning – what is the purpose for life?
      4. Destiny – where is mankind heading?

      But how does one go about applying this framework in the pursuit of God? A step-by-step question/answer approach is one of the best tactics to employ. Narrowing the list of possible questions down produces the following:

      1. Does absolute truth exist?
      2. Do reason and religion mix?
      3. Does God exist?
      4. Can God be known?
      5. Is Jesus God?
      6. Does God care about me?

      First we need to know if absolute truth exists. If it does not, then we really cannot be sure of anything (spiritual or not), and we end up either an agnostic, unsure if we can really know anything, or a pluralist, accepting every position because we are not sure which, if any, is right.

      Absolute truth is defined as that which matches reality, that which corresponds to its object, telling it like it is. Some say there is no such thing as absolute truth, but taking such a position becomes self-defeating. For example, the relativist says, “All truth is relative,” yet one must ask: is that statement absolutely true? If so, then absolute truth exists; if not, then why consider it? Postmodernism affirms no truth, yet it affirms at least one absolute truth: postmodernism is true. In the end, absolute truth becomes undeniable.

      Further, absolute truth is naturally narrow and excludes its opposite. Two plus two equals four, with no other answer being possible. This point becomes critical as different belief systems and worldviews are compared. If one belief system has components that are proven true, then any competing belief system with contrary claims must be false. Also, we must keep in mind that absolute truth is not impacted by sincerity and desire. No matter how sincerely someone embraces a lie, it is still a lie. And no desire in the world can make something true that is false.

      The answer of question one is that absolute truth exists. This being the case, agnosticism, postmodernism, relativism, and skepticism are all false positions.

      This leads us to the next question of whether reason/logic can be used in matters of religion. Some say this is not possible, but—why not? The truth is, logic is vital when examining spiritual claims because it helps us understand why some claims should be excluded and others embraced. Logic is absolutely critical in dismantling pluralism (which says that all truth claims, even those that oppose each other, are equal and valid).

      For example, Islam and Judaism claim that Jesus is not God, whereas Christianity claims He is. One of the core laws of logic is the law of non-contradiction, which says something cannot be both “A” and “non-A” at the same time and in the same sense. Applying this law to the claims Judaism, Islam, and Christianity means that one is right and the other two are wrong. Jesus cannot be both God and not God. Used properly, logic is a potent weapon against pluralism because it clearly demonstrates that contrary truth claims cannot both be true. This understanding topples the whole “true for you but not for me” mindset.

      Logic also dispels the whole “all roads lead to the top of the mountain” analogy that pluralists use. Logic shows that each belief system has its own set of signs that point to radically different locations in the end. Logic shows that the proper illustration of a search for spiritual truth is more like a maze—one path makes it through to truth, while all others arrive at dead ends. All faiths may have some surface similarities, but they differ in major ways in their core doctrines.

      The conclusion is that you can use reason and logic in matters of religion. That being the case, pluralism (the belief that all truth claims are equally true and valid) is ruled out because it is illogical and contradictory to believe that diametrically opposing truth claims can both be right.

      Next comes the big question: does God exist? Atheists and naturalists (who do not accept anything beyond this physical world and universe) say “no.” While volumes have been written and debates have raged throughout history on this question, it is actually not difficult to answer. To give it proper attention, you must first ask this question: Why do we have something rather than nothing at all? In other words, how did you and everything around you get here? The argument for God can be presented very simply:

      Something exists.
      You do not get something from nothing.
      Therefore, a necessary and eternal Being exists.

      You cannot deny you exist because you have to exist in order to deny your own existence (which is self-defeating), so the first premise above is true. No one believes you can get something from nothing (i.e., that ”nothing” produced the universe), so the second premise is true. Therefore, the third premise must be true—an eternal Being responsible for everything must exist.

      This is a position no thinking atheist denies; they just claim that the universe is that eternal being. However, the problem with that stance is that all scientific evidence points to the fact that the universe had a beginning (the ‘big bang’). And everything that has a beginning must have a cause; therefore, the universe had a cause and is not eternal. Because the only two sources of eternality are an eternal universe (proven to be untrue) or an eternal Creator, the only logical conclusion is that God exists. Answering the question of God’s existence in the affirmative rules out atheism as a valid belief system.

      Now, this conclusion says nothing about what kind of God exists, but amazingly enough, it does do one sweeping thing—it rules out all pantheistic religions. All pantheistic worldviews say that the universe is God and is eternal. And this assertion is false. So, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and all other pantheistic religions are ruled out as valid belief systems.

      Further, we learn some interesting things about this God who created the universe. He is:

      • Supernatural in nature (as He exists outside of His creation)
      • Incredibly powerful (to have created all that is known)
      • Eternal (self-existent, as He exists outside of time and space)
      • Omnipresent (He created space and is not limited by it)
      • Timeless and changeless (He created time)
      • Immaterial (because He transcends space)
      • Personal (the impersonal can’t create personality)
      • Necessary (as everything else depends on Him)
      • Infinite and singular (as you cannot have two infinites)
      • Diverse yet has unity (as nature exhibits diversity)
      • Intelligent (supremely, to create everything)
      • Purposeful (as He deliberately created everything)
      • Moral (no moral law can exist without a lawgiver)
      • Caring (or no moral laws would have been given)

      This Being exhibits characteristics very similar to the God of Judaism, Islam, and Christianity, which interestingly enough, are the only core faiths left standing after atheism and pantheism have been eliminated. Note also that one of the big questions in life (origins) is now answered: we know where we came from.

      This leads to the next question: can we know God? At this point, the need for religion is replaced by something more important—the need for revelation. If mankind is to know this God well, it is up to God to reveal Himself to His creation. Judaism, Islam, and Christianity all claim to have a book that is God’s revelation to man, but the question is which (if any) is actually true? Pushing aside minor differences, the two core areas of dispute are 1) the New Testament of the Bible 2) the person of Jesus Christ. Islam and Judaism both claim the New Testament of the Bible is untrue in what it claims, and both deny that Jesus is God incarnate, while Christianity affirms both to be true.

      There is no faith on the planet that can match the mountains of evidence that exist for Christianity. From the voluminous number of ancient manuscripts, to the very early dating of the documents written during the lifetime of the eyewitnesses (some only 15 years after Christ’s death), to the multiplicity of the accounts (nine authors in 27 books of the New Testament), to the archaeological evidence—none of which has ever contradicted a single claim the New Testament makes—to the fact that the apostles went to their deaths claiming they had seen Jesus in action and that He had come back from the dead, Christianity sets the bar in terms of providing the proof to back up its claims. The New Testament’s historical authenticity—that it conveys a truthful account of the actual events as they occurred—is the only right conclusion to reach once all the evidence has been examined.

      When it comes to Jesus, one finds a very curious thing about Him—He claimed to be God in the flesh. Jesus own words (e.g., “Before Abraham was born I AM”), His actions (e.g., forgiving sins, accepting worship), His sinless and miraculous life (which He used to prove His truth claims over opposing claims), and His resurrection all support His claims to be God. The New Testament writers affirm this fact over and over again in their writings.

      Now, if Jesus is God, then what He says must be true. And if Jesus said that the Bible is inerrant and true in everything it says (which He did), this must mean that the Bible is true in what it proclaims. As we have already learned, two competing truth claims cannot both be right. So anything in the Islamic Koran or writings of Judaism that contradict the Bible cannot be true. In fact, both Islam and Judaism fail since they both say that Jesus is not God incarnate, while the evidence says otherwise. And because we can indeed know God (because He has revealed Himself in His written Word and in Christ), all forms of agnosticism are refuted. Lastly, another big question of life is answered—that of ethics—as the Bible contains clear instructions on how mankind ought to live.

      This same Bible proclaims that God cares deeply for mankind and wishes all to know Him intimately. In fact, He cares so much that He became a man to show His creation exactly what He is like. There are many men who have sought to be God, but only one God who sought to be man so He could save those He deeply loves from an eternity separated from Him. This fact demonstrates the existential relevancy of Christianity and also answers that last two big questions of life—meaning and destiny. Each person has been designed by God for a purpose, and each has a destiny that awaits him—one of eternal life with God or eternal separation from Him. This deduction (and the point of God becoming a man in Christ) also refutes Deism, which says God is not interested in the affairs of mankind.

      In the end, we see that ultimate truth about God can be found and the worldview maze successfully navigated by testing various truth claims and systematically pushing aside falsehoods so that only the truth remains. Using the tests of logical consistency, empirical adequacy, and existential relevancy, coupled with asking the right questions, yields truthful and reasonable conclusions about religion and God. Everyone should agree that the only reason to believe something is that it is true—nothing more. Sadly, true belief is a matter of the will, and no matter how much logical evidence is presented, some will still choose to deny the God who is there and miss the one true path to harmony with Him.

      source for answers: gotquestions.org

3. Karsten November 29, 2010 at 1:07 pm

   For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. Romans 1:19-20

   God is everywhere, but people are blinded to the truth. Missions are still very much needed. Great article.

4. Virtual Assistants November 29, 2010 at 9:27 am

   God reveals himself to everyone in different ways … You have blessed me with your post — Kathleen

5. Abigail November 28, 2010 at 11:53 pm

   That was beautiful. I’ve been asked the same question many times and I never really had the time to understand it and give an answer. It’s inspiring, (not only because I now have an answer to all my atheist friends lol) my faith has increased and it creates a new positive outlook in my life. Thank you!

6. loswl November 23, 2010 at 9:59 am

   Beautiful message and I love the question. Since we know that it is true, then we have a responsibility to spread the GOOD NEWS!! Thank God for the good news that Jesus brings to the life of the believer…AMEN!

7. Andrew Kelsall November 22, 2010 at 3:51 pm

   Great article Brandon. It’s good to look at witnessing a little differently.

   Even today, I was witnessing to an atheist friend of mine. He was quite surprised that I told him I just watched 2 programs by Dr Richard Dawkins (author of the God Delusion) and told him that Dawkins seems like a good speaker; albeit very misguided. I suppose he expected me to speak harshly of him, however, Jesus tells us to love our enemies. Sometimes you have to meet people on their turf. My opinion is you can’t try and get someone to research Christianity, if you’re not prepared to look into their beliefs.

   I didn’t convince him this time, but I’m not the one who can do that anyway. Ultimately it is God who draws the heart. Our part is to tell the good news 🙂

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