Op-Ed: Can we explain what we believe?
LIVING ON PURPOSE
By Dr. Billy Holland
The foundation of the Christian faith, along with the hope of eternal salvation in the next life, is based on the torturous death and glorified resurrection of the only perfect individual we know as Jesus Christ. When we trust that His sacrificial blood is the only payment for our forgiveness and our hope for redemption, we become reborn, a new spiritual creation within His family and kingdom. Do you believe that trusting in this God-man is the greatest demonstration of love the world has ever known? Since this miraculous event happened over 2000 years ago, do you know why you believe these promises are true?
Let’s go a little further. Have you ever had a life-changing encounter with the person called the Son of God? Did you know that just believing there is a God, or that Jesus is real, is NOT the same thing as giving all of your heart, mind, and soul to Him? Pastors are not the only ones who are called to explain and teach God’s word; every person who has invited Christ to be their Lord and Savior should spend every available moment focusing on Him and getting to know Him more intimately through prayer and study. This is how His children become His fearless, wise, mighty, and overcoming warriors.
Over the last 100 years, the number of people interested in researching the Bible has increased. I’m not referring to those who want to draw closer to God, but rather the progressive intellectual critics who try to refute and disprove what is written. These are not your casual readers who accept what someone says on the surface or are satisfied with the idea of just believing by faith. Similar to how those who must prove everything according to science, these individuals are intense and seek more difficult answers than are discussed in church classes. In fact, if one of these agnostics were to present their views in church, most would be considered a heretic or worse.
I have several friends around the country, and we have interesting discussions about God and the Bible. As I mentioned, we have many questions about Christianity that are often left to speculation. I’ve read some of the textual critics who take pride in being able to pin a preacher against the wall who has been in Christian leadership most of his life. I’m writing this small article not to discourage you who are followers of Christ, but to blow the trumpet of warning about how important it is to know what we believe. Especially in the last 60 years, while the nominal Christians have been spiritually asleep, these scholars have been hard at work trying to see if what the text says is actually correct. I know that many will say, That’s a huge waste of time and is offensive to those who trust God, but how can we condemn those who have sincerely given their lives to researching every jot and tittle of the Bible?
It’s one thing to know what something says, and it’s another thing to explain what it means. This is true with the Bible, as there are individuals who have memorized what is written, but do they know how to translate the original languages into our modern English? For example, I’m not saying that I agree with what Bart Ehrman teaches, but he is recognized as a highly respected Biblical scholar who focuses on the textual criticism of the New Testament, the historical Jesus, and the origins and development of early Christianity. For anyone to debate him on Biblical topics, they would need to bring their A-game of theological research, and not just answers like, “I believe this because that’s what my grandmother said.”
My point is that all Christians should not only stand for their convictions, but have the ability to prove why they accept and trust them. The reason why all Christians are not dedicated theologians is that it’s much easier to accept a meal than to cook one. Most people say I do not have time to study the Bible, while spending several hours a day watching TV and playing on their phones. I encourage every follower to take a scholarly approach to understanding religious texts, including their faith-based views so they can be instant in season and out of season to give an answer. II Timothy 2:15 is not only about gaining knowledge, it’s taking the time to rightly divide His word and be enlightened by God’s divine revelation.
Dr. Holland is an ordained minister, chaplain, and author. Read more about the Christian life at billyhollandministries.com