Episode 70: Why You Should Be a Christian

Natural Knowledge

The existence of God is self-evident.

• The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” Psalm 14:1
• ²⁰ For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. ²¹ For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Romans 1:20-21
• The heavens declare the glory of God,
      and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Psalm 19:1

Our consciences testify against us.

• ²⁸ And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. ²⁹ They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, ³⁰ slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, ³¹ foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. ³² Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them. Romans 1:28-32
• ¹² For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. ¹³ For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. ¹⁴ For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. ¹⁵ They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them ¹⁶ on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus. Romans 2:12-16
•  “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men, of like nature with you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. ¹⁶ In past generations he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways. ¹⁷ Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.” Acts 14:15-17
• “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. 24 The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. 26 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, 28 for “‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, “‘For we are indeed his offspring.’ 29 Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. 30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” Acts 17:22-31
• This leaves man “without excuse,” but nature does not reveal righteousness perfectly to us. “Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, ‘You shall not covet.’” Romans 7:7
  • Martin Luther writes in the Heidelberg Disputation, Thesis 19, “That person does not deserve to be called a theologian who looks upon the invisible things of God as though they were clearly perceptible in those things which have actually happened [Rom. 1:20]. [been made; τοῖς ποίημασιν] This is apparent in the example of those who were ‘theologians’ and still were called fools by the Apostle in Rom. 1 [:22]. Furthermore, the invisible things of God are virtue, godliness, wisdom, justice, goodness, and so forth. The recognition of these things does not make one worthy or wise.”
  • Luther points out that Paul lists idolatry as works of the flesh which bar someone from inheriting the kingdom of God in Galatians 5.

Knowledge through Revelation

Christianity is based on historical events that can be verified by the testimony of witnesses unlike the myths of paganism.

• Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, ² just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, ³ it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, ⁴ that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught. Luke 1:1-4
• In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, ² until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. ³ He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. Acts 1:1-3
• Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 1 Corinthians 15:1-7
• ¹⁶ For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 2 Peter 1:16
• This sets Christianity apart from the pagan religions around the world, which told myths outside of a set time and place. This sets Christianity apart from religions such as Mormonism and Islam, whose scripture are written by just one person without the evidence of two or three witnesses.

Christ Jesus fulfills the prophesies of the Old Testament.

• I will put enmity between you and the woman,
      and between your offspring and her offspring;
  he shall bruise your head,
      and you shall bruise his heel.” Genesis 3:15
• For dogs encompass me;
      a company of evildoers encircles me;
  they have pierced my hands and feet^[b]—
  ¹⁷ I can count all my bones—
  they stare and gloat over me;
  ¹⁸ they divide my garments among them,
      and for my clothing they cast lots. Psalm 22:16-18
• Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14
• Surely he has borne our griefs
      and carried our sorrows;
  yet we esteemed him stricken,
      smitten by God, and afflicted.
  ⁵ But he was pierced for our transgressions;
      he was crushed for our iniquities;
  upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
      and with his wounds we are healed.
  ⁶ All we like sheep have gone astray;
      we have turned—every one—to his own way;
  and the Lord has laid on him
      the iniquity of us all. Isaiah 53:4-6
• For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,
      or let your holy one see corruption. Psalm 16:10
• And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, ⁴² saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. ⁴³ For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side ⁴⁴ and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.” Luke 19:41-44
• For I know that my Redeemer lives,
      and at the last he will stand upon the earth. Job 19:25

The Religion of Grace Sets Itself Apart from the Religion of Works

Christianity offers salvation by grace as a gift won by Christ Jesus to be received through faith. All religions invented by humans rely on our works or efforts.

• for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, ²⁵ whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. Romans 3:23-25
• For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:8-9
• Every other religion depends on works for salvation in one way or another, whether that is submission in Islam or the quest to remove karma in the eastern religions. Only in Christianity is salvation offered as a free gift purchased by God for us.