Tips for the Skeptic and Spiritual Seeker
So you're curious about Christ and this thing called Christianity. Cool! Let me tell you something that might be more intriguing to you.
Jesus himself said this:
“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him” (John 6:44).
That’s stunning news because it means God is trying to get your attention. He’s interested in you and making you interested in him.
When someone is the slightest bit curious about God and spiritual things, that's evidence that God loves them and wants them to know him personally. He stirred their interest.
Like I said, cool!
The Bible is a record of some of the things God has done in the past. One story might be particularly helpful. In chapter 3 of a book called John, we find a story.
This story will help anyone explore Christianity.
Nicodemus was a leader in the Jewish church. Jesus was a Jew too, but Jesus was God in the flesh. Jesus was trying to get the Jews to believe that, but many of them couldn’t. They rejected him and eventually killed him.
Nicodemus, however, was like a seeker today. He was smart and curious. He didn’t change his mind easily, but he didn’t automatically close it either. He kept an open mind, but it wasn’t so open his brains fell out. That's a good way to live.
The story in John 3 says that Nicodemus came to Jesus at night.
He was sneaking around to hide his interest in Jesus from his fellow Jewish leaders. A skeptic-turning seeker will stoke a fire around the water cooler. So, some explore privately.
Here's the first thing Nicodemus said to Jesus,
“Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him” (John 3:2).
Jesus replied,
“I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again” (John 3:3).
Jesus was talking spiritually, but ol’ Nick was thinking literally. So he asked,
“How can a man be born when he is old? Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!” (John 3:4).
Which is a good point if that was what Jesus was talking about. But Jesus wasn’t talking about moms and babies. He talked about how salvation brings new life, a spiritual life that translates into all life. Later, he explained,
“Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit” (John 3:6).
When Jesus said, “born again” or “born from above," he was talking about spiritual things, about salvation.
I’ll stop the story here (but it went on), and here's what I focused on.
Nicodemus kept asking questions, and Jesus kept providing answers.
Sometimes, Jesus didn’t answer his question, but Jesus always answered the deeper question.
Eventually, Jesus declared how to begin a relationship with him, receive forgiveness for sin, and start the eternal life that transforms us and gives us purpose on earth. He offered a guaranteed life with him in heaven after death. He said it in this classic way:
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son” (John 3:16-18).
And that's the way of salvation.
Read this essay to see this fleshed out in greater detail with a broader picture of our lives and what the Bible says. The article explains how to become a Christ-follower. Nicodemus eventually made that decision, but it took a while.
For people like Nicodemus who still have questions, here are some suggestions:
Be confident that we can all figure out the truth if we search for it. God promises that every seeker will find him if we search with all our heart (Jeremiah 29:13). We shouldn't decide to follow Christ until we're ready. Yet, we don't need to know all the answers before we become Christians. We simply need to know enough so that we can then put our trust in Christ through faith. Once we're Christ-followers, we'll continue to learn.
Attend a Christian church. Just sitting in church and listening to good teaching will help. Look for a class or small group for people exploring Christianity. Attend and ask questions.
Make a friend with a Christ-follower. Don’t choose just any believer; pick someone you respect and get along with (leave the wacky ones for someone else). Ask that person to help you find answers to your questions.
Get a Bible and read. The Bible can be overwhelming at first, so get a Bible with some good bits of help. I recommend The Journey (NIV): A Bible for the Spiritually Curious. Go to the second half of the Bible and start reading The Gospel of Matthew. This is one of four books that tell the story of Jesus’s life. Discern who Jesus is and determine whether or not he's the King of the world. If he is, and I think he is, then, like Nicodemus, bow to him and give him your life. If you want to know why to trust the Bible, read this essay.
Hop online. A good place to start is www.peacewithgod.net. Or, send me your questions. Let's talk.
Read good Christian books. Here are a few recommendations of books that explain salvation (and all are around 100 pages, piece of cake):
Basic Christianity by John R. W. Stott (a classic)
Epic by John Eldredge (if you love movies as metaphors, check this out and learn the heart of the salvation story)
How Good Is Good Enough by Andy Stanley (a simple book that explores whether or not good people go to heaven)
Dinner with a Perfect Stranger by David Gregory (a superb and entertaining read about a guy who has dinner with Jesus in the 21st century—it’s a fictitious story, of course, that answers a lot of real questions)
Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis (This popular and interesting book provides a powerful and rational explanation for the Christian faith from a brilliant man who used to be an atheist.)
If I can do anything to help, go to the Contact page and send me an email. I’ll do all I can. This is the most important decision of our lives.