Introduction: The Inevitable Leap of Faith People almost invariably arrive at their beliefs not on the basis of proof but on the basis of what they find attractive. Blaise Pascal, 17th century French mathematician, physicist and religious philosopher 1 Two doctors stand before you debating your fate. The first tells you that you have a few weeks left to live. The second tells you, You re fine, just go home and relax. Whom do you believe? Do you believe the second doctor just because you want her diagnosis to be true? If you are a rational person, you would ask the doctors what evidence backs up their opinions. You would also seek other expert opinions for further evidence leading to a more accurate diagnosis, an ideal treatment plan, and the best prognosis. If this desire for evidence is so understandable in a matter of life and death at the doctor s office, why do we so often abandon it when faced with questions of potentially infinitely greater importance, questions that could determine our fate for billions of years rather than for mere decades? These questions include: Is there eternal life after death? What will happen to me when I die? How do my beliefs and actions now affect my eternal destiny? Our answers to these and other questions about the meaning of life, whether we have purposefully thought them out or not, comprise our worldview. We 1 Blaise Pascal, Penseés.
[2] The Shortest Leap: The Rational Underpinnings of Faith in Jesus may have obtained our worldview from our culture, our family, our school, our friends, the media, or our house of worship. But why do we believe what we do? Have we based our worldview on rational thinking, or do we just believe our worldview because we want it to be true? Popular Leaps Of Faith Many people in today s society, including myself not too long ago, believe that while it s acceptable to seek truth in the natural world through scientific investigation, no one can claim to have the absolute truth about God. Therefore, anyone who claims to have the one truth is exclusive and narrow-minded. In addition, so this thinking goes, if no one can claim to have the one truth about God, then all religious and spiritual claims are equally valid. The important thing is to be open-minded and to respect that individuals follow their own valid paths to God. This open-minded worldview is very appealing because it seems to address the explosive issues caused by religious extremism that plague the world today. Many people think that if we could all respect everyone else s beliefs as different but equally true, we could achieve world peace. While they may be well-intentioned, these apparently open-minded claims have a problem. To believe that there is no absolute truth that is, that there is no single correct opinion of the unobservable supernatural world is itself a claim of absolute truth. That is, the belief that there is no absolute truth is also an opinion about the unobservable supernatural world, and those who have this belief also claim it is the correct one. Moreover, no one can know for sure that there is no absolute truth, so this belief also requires a leap of faith. It actually requires Introduction: The Inevitable Leap of Faith [3] more faith to believe there is no absolute truth because this worldview violates the Law of Non-Contradiction. You must believe that two contradictory statements, such as Jesus is God and Jesus is not God, are both equally true. The truth of a supernatural worldview is not a matter of personal taste, such that you can say That may be true for you, but not for me. If it is true that Jesus really did create the universe, as the Bible teaches, 2 how can it also be true that Jesus was just a good man? Similarly, if Jesus really did rise from the dead in a transformed physical body, as Christians believe, how could he have also not risen from the dead? With Western society s emphasis on democracy and religious freedom, it s easy to understand why so many people find it attractive to believe that all paths lead to God. However, to believe in religious freedom is not the same as believing that all religions are equally true. This is a very important distinction: you can still believe that there is one absolute truth about God and at the same time believe in religious tolerance and freedom. As a Christian, I am called to love my neighbor as myself, whether or not he or she believes the same as I do. That does not mean that I must believe that my neighbor s view of God is as true as my own, nor does it mean that I should refrain from lovingly sharing my faith with him or her. (In fact, if I truly believe what the Bible teaches that no one can earn eternal life, but can only receive it as free gift from God through faith in Jesus it would be unloving for me not to share this with others.) Religious truth claims become dangerous and even deadly if the believer rejects religious tolerance and wants to force all others to believe the truth using threats and violence. This view is completely at odds with the teachings of Jesus. In the parable of the 2 See John 1:3, 1 Corinthians 8:6, Colossians 1:16 and Hebrews 1:2.
[4] The Shortest Leap: The Rational Underpinnings of Faith in Jesus Good Samaritan, Jesus provided an example of a Samaritan man who sacrificially cares for a wounded and helpless stranger. Because Jews and Samaritans had very different views about God and were notoriously hostile to one another, Jesus is therefore instructing his followers to love their neighbor as themselves, even if their neighbor s religious beliefs differ greatly. And even though he was a Jew and loved his fellow Jews, Jesus even made the Samaritan man the good guy in the story! But coupled with his command to love those with whom they disagree, Jesus also instructed his followers to lovingly share the truth that he came to provide the way to eternal life with God. Just before the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus sent his disciples out as lambs among wolves (Luke 10:3) they would experience persecution, but they themselves should never be the persecutors. In his most famous sermon, the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus even instructs his followers to love their enemies and do good to those who hate them (see Matthew 5:43-48 and Luke 6:27-36). It is unfortunately true that many terrible acts have been committed by those who claim to be Christians. But anyone who has not loved his or her enemy is not following the teachings of Jesus, despite claims to be doing so. Just as Christian theologian St. Augustine advised in the early fifth century, Never judge a philosophy by its abuse, we should be careful not to mistake wolves in sheep s clothing for true sheep. 3 3 In Chapter 20, we will go into further detail about the most crucial difference between Christianity and all other religions: Christianity is based on salvation by grace as opposed to the salvation by works of all other religions. That is, Christians are accepted by God not because of any works that they do, but only by their faith in the work that Jesus Christ has already done for them. Even one s faith is a gift from God and not a work, such that no one can say, I m a better person because I have faith in Jesus or because I have a stronger faith than you. Introduction: The Inevitable Leap of Faith [5] In addition to the belief that all paths lead to God, another popular worldview is to believe in a god of love, and that you will go to heaven if you are a good person. But how does anyone know that God is loving? You certainly wouldn t deduce that from looking at the state of the world. Moreover, how do you know how good you have to be to get into heaven? Belief in a God of love who lets good people into heaven, while it s a wonderful idea, is based on a leap of faith at least as large as that required by any other belief system. Other common worldviews can be expressed in the following admittedly simplistic ways: I ll believe in God s existence if he helps me get [fill in the blank] or I believe in a God who allows me to live life the way I want to. While it is understandable to want God to help us live a better life and accept us just the way we are, there is no solid evidence to support the ideas that God would always give us our desires or condone all of our actions. Because Christian salvation is not the work of the Christian him or herself, there is no reason for any Christian to boast or to look down on anyone with other views of God (Ephesians 2:8-9). Moreover, those who recognize that they are unable to earn God s approval but must accept it as a free gift of grace are often those who have failed the most. My pastor has described the church as Sinners Anonymous because it is those who have made the biggest mistakes that recognize their need for Jesus free gift of salvation. Tim Keller writes: A central message of the Bible is that we can only have a relationship with God by sheer grace. Our moral efforts are too feeble and falsely motivated to ever merit salvation The mistaken belief that a person must clean up his or her life in order to merit God s presence is not Christianity It is often the case that people whose lives have been harder and who are lower on the character scale are more likely to recognize their need for God and turn to Christianity. So we should expect that many Christians lives would not compare well to those of the nonreligious (just as the health of people in the hospital is comparatively worse than people visiting museums. (Timothy Keller, The Reason for God [New York: Penguin Group, 2008], 53-54.) Therefore, the failings of Christians does not disprove the truth of Christianity, either because they are not truly Christians, or because they are undergoing a gradual process of spiritual rehabilitation, a process that theologians called sanctification.
[6] The Shortest Leap: The Rational Underpinnings of Faith in Jesus Some people claim they aren t willing to take any leap of faith to believe in God. But even this atheistic worldview requires faith. They may say, I ll believe in God if I have 100% certain proof that he exists, or as I ve heard some atheists put it, There is no need to disprove something that isn t proven in the first place. But in saying this, they are also making an absolute truth claim that God, if he existed, would make himself known to them in a way that is 100% provable. What evidence do they have that God would give irrefutable proof of his existence? Perhaps he doesn t reveal himself with 100% certainty because he wants us to come to him out of our own free will, rather than because we are forced to when confronted with unmistakable evidence for his existence. To not believe in God takes a leap of faith at least as large as that to any belief in God. In fact, we ll see in the first three chapters that it actually takes a much larger leap of faith. Whatever our belief system, we are taking a step of faith when we hold onto it. Whether we believe that there are many paths to God, or we believe that we re already good enough to get into heaven, or we d only believe in a God who can be proven or who gives us what we want, we are taking a leap of faith and could be missing out on having a real, eternal relationship with him if we re leaping in the wrong direction. Finding The Shortest Leap So if all worldviews are based on a leap of faith, including the belief that all worldviews are equally true, should we just throw up our hands and say no one can find the truth? Fortunately, you don t have to conclude that truth isn t knowable. You can use your reason to determine which worldview is closest to the truth based on the evidence that supports it or refutes it. Even though God, if Introduction: The Inevitable Leap of Faith [7] he exists, is unobservable, we can still investigate whether he exists and what he is like by observing his effects. We investigate other unobservable phenomena in the same way. For example, we can t see the forces of gravity or magnetism, but we can see the effects that these forces have on other observable objects. Similarly, historians, archeologists, investigative journalists, attorneys and forensic scientists do the same type of induction when trying to determine the truth of what really happened in the past. They cannot rewind time and observe the events as they happened, but they can study the effects of the events or the crime eyewitness accounts, footprints and fingerprints, DNA evidence, and so forth to reconstruct the past based on the weight of the evidence. Sometimes they cannot be 100% certain of what happened, but they can try to get as close as possible. On the television show, CSI: Las Vegas, lead crime scene investigator Gil Grissom would never allow his team to accuse someone of a crime without a full rational investigation. They couldn t claim a person was guilty just because they have a strong feeling he or she did it or because they grew up being taught that that type of person commits this type of crime. Similarly, they wouldn t let a suspect go free because they wanted him to be innocent. But in contrast, most people today hold a certain worldview because it just feels right or it works for me or that s how I was raised or it s more politically correct or it lets me live my life the way I want to. While you have every right to choose your worldview by these criteria, it may be a huge mistake if you don t at least use the same investigative methods with regard to your worldview as Grissom uses to solve a crime case. The purpose of this book is to help the reader whether you are
[8] The Shortest Leap: The Rational Underpinnings of Faith in Jesus a Christian or not to evaluate the Christian faith with the same techniques used to investigate scientific phenomena and historical events. First and foremost, I wrote this book for those who know little about Christianity and are willing to learn more. At best, they aren t sure why Christians believe what they do, or at worst, they are completely offended by the claims of Christianity. Secondly, this book is for Christians who want to learn how to share their faith with others and Christians who want to believe in Jesus more wholeheartedly. While only the Holy Spirit can deepen your faith, I encourage you to examine the evidence for Christianity as a means by which the Holy Spirit can work in your heart. If you aren t sure whether you really do believe in Jesus, consider how you would answer these questions: Who do you say that Jesus is? Do you see him as one of many religious prophets throughout history, or do you see him as God? Do you consider him merely a good teacher from whom you can learn to live a good life, or do you see him as your Savior, without whose sacrifice on your behalf your good works would never amount to anything even close to God s perfect standards? And if you do consider him your Savior, how does that make you feel? Do you feel that you have to live a good life out of obligation, or does what Jesus did for you melt your heart to such a degree that you are eager to follow him, even if doing so is difficult? If you either don t see Jesus as God and Savior, or if you don t feel joyfully transformed by what he has done for you, I encourage you to read this book as a means to grow deeper in your faith in Jesus and in your relationship with him. He came to earth that you may have life, and have it to the full (John 10:10). If you truly believe in Jesus at your core, not just on an intellectual level, you can have a life marked by selfless giving, joy and hope, and not a life of obligation, worry or fear. If you want this life, I hope God Introduction: The Inevitable Leap of Faith [9] can use this book to point you in the right direction. The ultimate goal of this book is to present evidence that strongly bolsters the case that Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). That is, as God in human flesh, Jesus is the embodiment of the truth about God, and through him is the only way to eternal life in the presence of God. While only God can reveal this truth to you (that is, you don t discover it through your own effort, intelligence or morality), he can use rational evidence to break down roadblocks that keep you from belief in Jesus. Please recognize that, whatever your current beliefs about the existence of God and the purpose of life, they are based on a leap of faith. I encourage you to take the leap of faith that is based on the most rational evidence the shortest leap. Opening Prayer The most important attitude you can have as you read this book is an open mind and heart. If you aren t a Christian, you must let go at least temporarily of your reasons for not wanting to believe and listen to the evidence in favor of Christianity with as little bias as possible. And if you re a Christian, you shouldn t just take the rational evidence for Christianity as truth, but question it, struggle with it, and ask for God s guidance regarding it. In this way, God will personally show you the answers you are seeking and make himself more real to you on a deeper level. More than three thousand years ago, King David gave this advice to his son Solomon: The Lord searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever (1 Chronicles 28:9). Similarly, even though the prophet Jeremiah was sharing
[10] The Shortest Leap: The Rational Underpinnings of Faith in Jesus God s words with the nation of Israel, he was also talking directly to us today when he relates this statement from God: For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart (Jeremiah 29:11,13). If you are eager to learn and hear from God as you read this book, I urge you to pray the following prayer. If you pray with a sincere desire to know the truth, God will reveal it to you. Dear God, I may not truly know for sure that you exist or I may think I already know you, but I ask that you reveal the truth about yourself to me. Please give me an honest and unbiased mind as I read this book. Show me what you want me to learn, and help me to understand you and your will in my life. Guide me in my search for the truth. Amen. In the first book of the New Testament, Jesus tells us to ask, seek, and knock, for everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened (Matthew 7:7-8). A few verses later, Jesus mentions that the road that leads to life is narrow and only a few find it. Jesus is encouraging us to go on a quest, not for material things of this world, but for the knowledge of God and his truth about the meaning of life, both the life before we die and the life after we die. God wants us to ask questions about him, to seek him, and to knock on his door so that he can let us into an eternal relationship with him. But he does not force us to do so, since to force us would make our decisions meaningless in fact, they wouldn t be our own decisions at all. While he may be drawing Introduction: The Inevitable Leap of Faith [11] us to him, it is still our choice to respond in faith to his call. In the last book of the New Testament, Jesus says, Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me (Revelation 3:20). Note that Jesus is standing at the door and knocking, not barging right in. Moreover, in ancient times, sharing a meal with someone was a sign of intimacy. Jesus isn t just inviting you to be his loyal subject; he wants you to be his close, intimate friend. When Joshua told his people to choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve (Joshua 24:15), he understood that we have been given the free will to choose the god or gods whom we serve. If you have not yet investigated the rational evidence in favor of the various worldviews, I urge you to put your entire energy into the task, since our time on earth is a mere blink of the eye compared to eternity. Please don t let the busyness of this life distract you from pursuing an investigation that may lead to an eternal relationship with your Creator. I sincerely hope that this book will help you with that investigation, and that your choice will be like Joshua s: As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.