Some Objections and Answers*

I already believe that

Many people will respond to the gospel by saying that they already believe in Jesus and in the Bible. However, some do not actually have saving faith. When doing one-on-one evangelism, evangelists often ask this diagnostic question, "If you were to die today, and stand before God, and he were to ask you ‘Why should I let you into heaven?’" How would you respond? The most common answer, even among some church-goers, is, "Because I try to obey the Ten Commandments and the Golden Rule. I have never done anything that bad, and I have been a good person."

A simple analysis of this kind of answer reveals that the only object of faith is self, "I try…I have never…I have been." Reliance upon self is precisely not faith in Christ.

God would never punish anyone

Many find it easier to believe that God is love than to believe that He is also a consuming fire. The Bible teaches both. 22 Again this is an indication of faith in one’s own speculations over God’s revelation. What is the accurate representation of God’s character, human speculation or divine revelation? This brings us to another common objection.

I don’t believe the Bible

This objection subsumes other common objections, such as "I don’t believe in heaven" or "I don’t believe in hell." Making such statements implies unbelief toward the Bible. There was a time when I did not believe the Bible. I would have made the above statement. Logically, either the one making the statement is committing the sin of unbelief, or Almighty God is a liar. Isn’t it obvious which is true?

Religion is a Crutch

Some object to the Gospel by claiming that religion is a crutch for the weak, who are afraid to face life as it really is. Theologian R.C. Sproul answers this kind of objection:

Rightly, the Scripture concludes, ‘It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God’ (Hebrews 10:31). And Jesus declares that we should not fear him who is able to kill the body and after that there is nothing more that he can do, but rather that we should fear him (God) who is able to plunge both body and soul into hell. Yea, says Christ, I say unto you, fear him. The truth of the matter then is that rather than the believer creating an imaginary God to whom he may flee, the unbeliever has created an imaginary world in which God does not exist in order to flee from a just God who is infinitely angry with him because of his sins. This is the truth of the matter as every unbeliever knows deep down in his soul.23

A crutch? No. Wings!