Guiding Scripture: 1 Peter 3:15 - “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect...”
- Can I be real for a minute? As Christians, we can get so enamored with the idea of being Christians that we forget to step back and consider why we believe what we believe. If a nonbeliever came up to us and asked us why we made the decision to accept Christ as Savior, what would we say? Would we even have an answer? Recently, the Lord challenged me to consider this question for myself, and these are the answers that came to mind.
- I believe in Jesus because there is compelling evidence to suggest that He lived.
- There isn’t much physical evidence of Christ’s existence, but archaeologists have discovered remnants that point to both Nazareth (Jesus’ hometown) and the type of Roman crucifixion that Jesus suffered in the New Testament.
- Jesus was mentioned in documents written by both Jewish and Roman historians in the decades after His death, and these writings corroborate certain details in the New Testament, such as the mention of Pontius Pilate.
- Many of these texts were written by people who did not identify themselves as Christians and had no reason to lie.
- I believe in Jesus because the Bible makes sense to me.
- The Bible answers all of my major questions about life and humanity. It addresses everything from why there is evil in the world to where we go after we die.
- The Bible is the only book I’ve ever read that affects me differently no matter how many times I read it. I’ve read other sacred texts before, and they’ve never given me that experience.
- “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword” (Hebrews 4:12)
- I believe in Jesus because He gives my life hope and purpose.
- Paul said that if our hope in Christ is only for this world, we should be pitied more than anyone else (1 Corinthians 15:19).
- My cousin Dana passed away at 20, and my belief in Jesus gives me hope that I’ll see her again.
- I believe in Jesus because He stands apart from other religious figures.
- When you look at most of the major world religions, they are very similar in the principles they teach. The one area where they differ is in what they believe about Jesus.
- Jesus is the only religious figure that identifies Himself as the one way to God (John 14:6).
- I believe in Jesus because I’ve encountered Him for myself.
- Although I grew up in a Christian household, I didn’t really experience the power of Jesus for myself until He freed me from depression.
- People can discredit the idea of Jesus as Messiah all they want, but they can never take away your personal testimony.
Action Step: Why did you decide to become a Christian? Do you relate to any of the reasons I gave for my belief? Sit down with a Christian friend and engage in a mock debate about the merits of Christianity.
References:
- https://www.history.com/news/was-jesus-real-historical-evidence