Thursday, October 04, 2012

Christianity Doesn't Make Sense Until You Jump


If Christianity involved nothing more than a person changing some of his habits, then I suppose it could probably be understood through common sense. But Christianity is a much deeper phenomenon. It goes to the core of your existence....what the Bible calls your "spirit" and your "inner being." (Ephesians 3:16)

Trying to fully explain Christianity to an unbeliever is like trying to fully explain skydiving to someone who is still sitting in the plane and too nervous to make their first jump. How do you explain something that must be experienced to be properly understood? Oh, it's easy to criticize Christians when you are not yet willing to jump yourself....especially if you decide to dwell on examples of professing Christians who are not living a noble life. Imagine someone sitting in a plane and criticizing the way the skydivers are supposedly doing it all wrong....and yet that sort of "sideline criticism" goes on everyday.

Why doesn't Christianity make sense to our natural way of thinking? The answer is simple. "The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned." (1 Corinthians 2:14) The word "cannot" says it all. It's not that unbelievers are incapable of considering Christian doctrine. It's just that without the Holy Spirit, it is impossible for them to understand it....and fully accept it....and be changed by it.

An unbeliever must know Jesus in order to be a Christian....and an unbeliever cannot know Jesus without the Holy Spirit working in his heart to help him know Christ. In other words, you cannot simply rationalize your way into Christianity. You need divine assistance. You need God's help....and His power....and His illumination in your heart and mind. Read more

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