Mere Evangelism

When it comes to my friends, I’m a terrible evangelist. Of course, I’ve got a million great excuses, and I can rationalize my failures, but the bottom line is I almost always fail to communicate to them my beliefs about Christianity. I suppose if I had to point my finger at one particular issue, it would be this: I don’t want then to think that I’ve copped an “I’m better than you” attitude.

It is, however, Christmas time, and the excuses need to stop. Christmas has crumbled into a massive, secular, spend-a-thon, and Christ has all but been removed from the word “Christmas.” So, as my Christmas present to my friends, I’m going to say a few words about Christianity, and why I hope they’ll rethink the meaning of Christmas.

Dear Friends, Today I’d like you to take some time to walk outside and look around at the world around you. Look at the beauty, brilliance, and perfect design of nature. Then look at the form and function of the buildings we humans have constructed. Then look at the engineering marvels we call cars and the bridges they drive on. Do you think all of this occurred completely out of chance? That several billion years ago there was some dust swirling around in space, and then some really lucky things happened over a very, very long time, and now we’re here in the age of technology? All this, with no God designing it and guiding it?

I won’t belabor this point, because most people believe in God. After all, the very ability to ponder God is enough for many people to believe there is a God. And the chances are you are among them. But what’s the deal with this God? Why did He create all this stuff, and why did He create it in a way that enables us to enjoy it? After all, shouldn’t we feel fear and horror whenever we see the ocean, a thunderstorm, a shark, a grizzly bear, or a raging river? Throughout man’s history, these things have been stone killers. So why are they still beautiful to us? Why aren’t we horrified by them?

I’d venture to say it’s because Man is part of God’s plan, and God intentionally created the world to benefit us. He wanted the planet to be a place where we felt awe every time we looked around. He wanted us to eat food that tasted good. He wanted us to see sights that looked beautiful. He wanted us to smell things that appealed to our sense of smell. I could go on forever, but the bottom line is this: The earth could be an aesthetically ugly place and still function. So why is it beautiful?

I believe it’s because God made it that way for man. And if He did that, isn’t it logical that man plays some role in His cosmic plan? And if God has a plan, what is it?

As I’m sure you know, I believe the question is answered through Christianity.

I didn’t always feel this way, of course. For many years I made up my own religion, where trees had souls, and revenge was sacred, and God watched out for me because I was somehow more righteous and justified than all the other people in the world. I ignored Christianity, because I felt my objections were far more insightful than anything the Bible had to say, and certainly more valid than what a brainwashed Christian thought.

In fact, I felt a bit above “religion,” until one day this question occurred to me: Was I willing to bet my everlasting soul that my logic is superior to what Christianity teaches? For me, the answer to that particular question was “no,” I wasn’t. If there was even a remote chance that Christianity might be true, I needed to investigate it fully to see what I found.

Now, here comes the hard part of this evangelical column. It’s where I have to say the tough love stuff. So, here goes: My friend, if you believe God exists, and that He might have a plan, and Christianity might have some answers, you’ve got to stop telling yourself that you already understand Christianity. The chances are very slim that you do.

If you’re like I was five years ago, your understanding is probably a piecemeal collection of urban myths and snippets you remember from a handful of sermons on Christmas and Easter. The secular world has reduced Christianity to a series of simplistic and incorrect sound bites, and the concepts that circulate among the public at large are nowhere near the reality.

Am I the guy with all the answers for you? Hardly. But there are some very smart clergy out there to help you, there’s the Alpha course, there are lots of study programs and books on the topic, and there’s all the stuff you’ll learn by getting involved at a church.

Now why, you may wonder, do I feel it’s so important that I evangelize to you? Why should I bother you with the faith I’ve found? Because of what C.S. Lewis said, which shocked me into reality: Christianity can either be the most important thing in the world, or of zero importance whatsoever. What it cannot be is mildly important.

Please think about that: Either Christianity is true, or it’s a lie.

And if it’s true, think about the fact that God sent His Son to earth to be tortured to death for you. That really happened. And when He did that, he gave us a way to avoid paying the penalty for the sins we commit. Do we need forgiveness? Well, let me ask you this: Are you living up to God’s standards of goodness and mercy? I’m not. I’m failing big time, every single day. And one day I’m going to croak, and I’m going to stand in front of the Creator of the Universe, and He’s going to say, “Okay, it’s Judgment Day. Sit down right there and let’s watch this video. It’s your life.”

Now, if that’s going to happen, how will you score? What if you have a brain aneurysm right now? What will your video look like? You see, most of my life I thought when God and I watched that video together I’d score okay, because God is a loving God and he’d think I was a pretty good guy. Now I have a better understanding of Christianity, and I understand that God isn’t going to compare me to Hitler and praise me for how well I did. He’s going to stand me next to Jesus, and say, “You were a man, and Jesus was a man. Let’s see how you compared to him.”

You see, my friend, on Judgment Day you will stand next to absolute goodness and perfection, and be measured by that standard. You don’t get points added for being better than Hitler; you get points subtracted for failing to live up to the standard Jesus set. And how will you score? If you’re like me, you’ll flunk.

In fact, you’ll look so rotten standing next to Jesus that the only chance you’ll have is if Jesus speaks up and says, “Hey, Dad, it’s cool. This one’s with me.” And that’s what Jesus does for anyone who admits they are a sinner, and asks him for help. It’s as simple as admitting you won’t pass the test, and asking Jesus to act as your advocate and Savior before God. (The Christian concept is the concept of grace, and you’ll learn a lot more about that if pursue Christianity’s teachings with any enthusiasm.)

As I stated above, if Christianity is true then this is the single most important conversation you and I will ever have. The Bible makes it clear that life is not a dress rehearsal. You don’t get a do-over. This is a test, and it is your one shot to get your cover charge paid by Jesus. So don’t mess around. Make sure you’ve invested the time and energy to understand the topic, and to “get right with God.”

There’s no better time to start down the Christian path than right now. If you don’t know how, just ask any trusted Christian friend how to get started. And the best part is that if you do, Christmas will take on a whole new meaning: After all, it’s the day we recognize and thank God for loving mankind enough to send His son to live among us as a man, knowing that one day that beloved son would be nailed to a cross.

From both Heidi and I, we’d like to say “Merry Christmas” to everyone who reads this column. We hope you’ll give these ideas some thought during this special time of year, because what’s under the tree is of little consequence in the long run: God has already given all of us the greatest Christmas present of all. All you have to do is open it, then pass it on.