Apologetics: The Basics
Session 15 – Conclusion

Final session…

     Introduction
     4 points: Truth is Knowable, God Exists,
               NT is Historically Reliable
               Jesus Proved He is God
     3 objections: Darwin, evil/suffer, Genesis 1
     Other objections:
Conclusion…

Part 1: a final apologetic

We presented a series of evidence based arguments in support of the idea that Christianity is the one worldview where ultimate truth is found. We begin our final session with one more argument…the argument from the realities of life…

What you need to know:

  • We define truth as those beliefs that agree with reality. If you look at life with an objective view, what you see will tell you that Christianity is truth. This means that Christianity, unlike any other faith or worldview, explains the realities of life unlike any other.
  • This does NOT mean there is no truth in other religions, EVERY religion, has some elements of truth in it. This DOES mean that when we talk of ultimate truth, or the central beliefs of a particular worldview, that Christianity, and only Christianity, will be consistent with the world we see around us.
  • So, for example, when you look around and see the clear message that suffering is a very real thing, any belief system that denies the existence of suffering can be understood to be a false belief system.
  •  Other examples abound…
  1.  Are there some things that are truly evil? Then any belief system that is incapable of even defining what evil is in real terms can be understood to be a false belief system.
  2.  Is mankind uniquely valuable? If so, then you should reject any belief system that defines mankind to be pretty much the same as the rest of creation.
  3.  Is there something terribly wrong with mankind?
  4. Do you understand that there are no circumstances under which you (or others) should be considered God?
  5.  Do you feel like there must be a reason for your existence beyond the worries and cares of your daily existence?
  6.  Do you have a longing for a connection with your Creator, or a reconciliation with your Creator, that you can’t explain?

All these things, and many others, are consistent with the message of the Christian faith

Conclusion:

The point is this…the world around us and life itself are telling us the true answers to the most important questions in life are found in the person and teachings of Jesus Christ. You can suppress those answers by intellectual, emotional or spiritual rebellion, but your reaction to these truths do not change the fact that they are…the truth.

Part 2: So what? 20 implications…

We have just spent 14 ½ sessions making the case that ultimate truth is found only in Jesus Christ. I could be wrong but I think the case is overwhelmingly conclusive. And if this conclusion IS correct, there are some implications that can be made by completing the following statement…

If what I believe is true is really true, then…

  1. God is…
  1. there IS a reason for your existence…

your Creator loves you and wants to have an intimate relationship with you today, tomorrow, and forever

  1. God’s holiness is incompatible with immorality…

This means he cannot have an intimate relationship with someone who has broken his moral law (Habakkuk 1:13)

  1. Thus the punishment for breaking God’s moral law is separation from God…the only other possibility is forgiveness
  1. we are all guilty of breaking God’s moral law…Rom 3:23

     so we ALL need forgiveness

  1. The price required for forgiveness is a price we cannot pay…

We cannot be saved by our: goodness, strength, wisdom, wealth, etc.

  1. Because he loves us, Jesus paid the price for us…

even though we persist in rebellion (Romans 5:8)

  1. Accepting this forgiveness is a decision each of us must make…also because he loves us, God does not force us to accept his offer of forgiveness…we are free to either accept or reject it
  • forgiveness is only available by the grace of God, through our act of faith: ‘saving faith’ is an ‘active, trust’ built on a foundation of truth: ‘active’ means there is a commitment involved (Eph 2:8) ***
  • forgiveness is the BEST word
  1. this forgiveness is available to everyone, regardless of who you are or what you have done…regardless of your wealth, or your fame, or your intellect, or your achievements, or good deeds
  • we cannot be so good that we don’t need forgiveness
  • We also cannot be so bad that we are beyond forgiveness
  • God loves and values everyone exactly the same
  1. Jesus is coming back and there will be a Judgment Day.
  1. those who accept his offer are loved, blessed, and most importantly, forgiven. Because of this forgiveness they can live a life without fear or worry or anxiety

Note: In my opinion, these first 11 truths form the essential core message of the Bible.

  1. We don’t get to decide what is right and what is wrong…If He has an opinion about anything, our opinion doesn’t matter. This applies to EVERY opinion we may have
  1. He has left us an instruction book. He expects his instructions to be obeyed (John 14:15)
  1. All the instructions are important but the two most important instructions are 1. Love God and 2. Love others (Matt 22:36-39)
  1. because we are forgiven, we don’t have to worry about mistakes… You don’t have to be perfect to be part of THIS family
  1. but Loving God and being Master of your own life do not go together… if our mistakes are a reflection of wanting to be our own Master, you might want to ask yourself if you ever really had that ‘saving faith’ relationship with the one who matters…
  1. There is life after death
  1. Someone really does care about you and all the details of your life (Matt 6, birds and flowers)
  1. Jesus…really…is…the…only…way (his words, not ours) (John 14:6)
  1. Soooo….what you choose to do with Jesus is more important than any other choice you will ever make
  1. No matter what people think, your worth in the eyes of God is not based on what you look like, on your IQ, on your accomplishments, …

Some Final thoughts

As we close out this series of sessions, 3 final thoughts for believers, and for unbelievers…

If you are a disciple of Jesus Christ…

1. know that you should NEVER separate your mind from your faith…

2. learn the information that demonstrates that what you believe is true is really true…remember, truth is on your side, so you do not need to be afraid of those who aggressively challenge your faith

3. then share that information every time God opens a door for you to stand up for your faith…and do this in a gentle and respectful way…use your tactics but NEVER let your attitude get in the way of your message

If you are not a disciple of Jesus Christ…

1. please abandon any notion that not believing is somehow ‘smart’…not believing is simply ignoring the overwhelming evidence that says otherwise

2. keep an eternal perspective on your choices in life, don’t trade your ultimate reward in life for a bowl of porridge

3. God made you and he loves you, because of that he sent his son to die for you because he want you to live with him forever…but whether you accept his offer of forgiveness or not…that choice is up to you

Conclusion

I believe in Jesus Christ because, like hundreds of millions of others, I have had a personal experience with him…

But…you don’t have to just take our word for it…

The Four Points is just some of the information your Creator has provided so that you may know…

So that’s what I believe…and why I believe it…

What do you believe? Why in the world do you believe that??

Don’t miss the question…Who is Jesus?

Recommended Resource List

I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist – Norm Geisler and Frank Turek
The Ambassador Basic Curriculum CD Series – str.org
The Case for Christ – Lee Strobel
The Case for Faith – Lee Strobel
The Case for the Real Jesus – Lee Strobel
Mere Christianity – CS Lewis
When Skeptics Ask – Norm Geisler and Ron Brooks
Cold Case Christianity – J. Warner Wallace
Darwin On Trial – Philip Johnson
Reason in the Balance – Philip Johnson
Icons of Evolution – Jonathon Wells
Darwin Strikes Back – Tom Woodward
Doubts About Darwin – Tom Woodward
Darwin’s Black Box – Michael Behe
The Edge of Evolution – Michael Behe
Darwin’s Doubt – Stephen Meyer
Signature in the Cell – Stephen Meyer
Creator in the Cosmos – Hugh Ross
How Now Shall We Live – Chuck Colson (first 100 pages)
A Matter of Days – Hugh Ross
Genesis, Science and the Beginning – Ben Smith
The Genesis Question – Hugh Ross
The Story of Reality – Greg Koukl
Tactics – Greg Koukl
Relativism, Feet Firmly Planted in Mid-Air
True for You but not for Me – Paul Copan
Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus – Nabeel Qureshi
Jesus Among Other Gods – Ravi Zacharias
anything by Ravi Zacharias, Gary Habermas, JP Moreland, et al
Who Moved The Stone – Frank Morison

illustramedia.com
reasons.org
str.org
discovery.org
crossexamined.org
garyhabermas.com

Whoever you are and whatever you think you believe, my challenge to you is…know what you believe, and know why you believe it!