Ask a Pastor Column

Q: (From our friend; the atheistic college professor) If billions of people dedicated their life to having an intimate relationship with God, how could it fail to produce overwhelming positive effects, forming solid proofs of this divine guidance?

  A: You’re absolutely right. For Christianity to be true it would demand an obvious and overwhelming amount of evidence. For instance, if Christianity were true, then we would expect it to have spread to every continent and corner of the world (hint: it has). We should see Christians loving their neighbors; inventing hospitals for the sick and building facilities for the poor. We would see medical and crisis charities marked with a Red Cross, hospitals with Christian names, and the bronze serpent of Moses on ambulances if Christians really practiced what they preach.

If we Christians really believed in God the Creator, we would’ve started schools, universities and research centers to understand His world better. Christians like Isaac Newton, George Washington Carver and Francis Bacon would have dedicated their lives to learning about God through His creation and used that knowledge to benefit humanity (they did).

If Christianity were true, you’d expect that to show up in its mission work and outreach. You’d expect Christians to spread the good news peaceably in the face of unbelievable hardship and persecution. You’d expect missionaries to depart for the mission field with their belongings packed in their own coffins; prepared to lay down their lives for the gospel. You’d expect them to bring literacy, love, healing and reconciliation to the people they reach, improving their standard of living, their health and their education. And…We… Have.

Friend, the problem is not the lack of evidence for Christianity. The problem is the world’s suppression of all evidence in support of Christianity (Romans 1:18). Despite the wrongdoing of nominal and professing Christians (and yes, genuine Christians also fall short of our calling at times), Christianity as a whole has been a marvelous force in this world for good. God has shown Himself both powerful and faithful on behalf of His people. But many remain blind to this fact, as the Bible predicted they would (II Corinthians 4:3-4; Ephesians 4:17b-18). I pray that God would work, perhaps even through this article, to enlighten you about the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ, so that you may be one of those whose eyes are opened to the truth and blessings of the Christian faith.

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Let us know what you think of the ask a pastor articles! If you’ve found them helpful in any way, been blessed by an article, or have any thoughts on how we could make it better, let us know by sending an email to askapastor [email protected] or by mail to Formoso Church; P.O. Box 66; Formoso, Kansas 66942. And, as always, feel free to send us your Bible questions!