The decision to believe - Vanaukens experience Vanauken describes with stunning clarity the kind of thoughts which go through many peoples minds about the leap of faith as follows: There is a gap between the probable and the proved. How was I to cross it? If i were to stake my whole life on the risen Christ, I wanted proof. I wanted certainty. I wanted to see Him eat a bit of fish. I wanted letters of fire across the sky. I got none of these. And I continued to hang about on the edge of the gap.... It was a question of whether I was to accept Him - or reject. My God! There was a gap behind me as well! Perhaps the leap to acceptance was a horrifying gamble - but what of the leap to rejection? There might be no certainty that Christ was God - but, by God, there was no certainty that He was not. I could not reject Jesus. There was only one thing to do once I had seen the gap behind me. I turned away from it, and flung myself over the gap toward Jesus. Vanauken provides here a brilliant statement of the dilemma which the creative Christian witness addresses, while at the same time solving it in a highly personal and memorable way. Note the decision to believe. There is no contradiction here. The faith that justifies is the faith to believe in God, trusting that the gospel promises are for real, and that one day they will be seen to be for real. The decision to believe breaks the paralysis of indecision which otherwise hovers around the gap of faith. Vanauken puts it this way: I chose to believe in the Father, Son and Holy Ghost - in Christ, my Lord and my God. True Christianity, when understood, has the ring, the feel, of unique truth. Of essential truth... But, a choice was necessary and there is no certainty. One can only choose a side. So I - i now choose my side....I choose Christ as my God and my Lord and my Savior. From Bridge-Building: Effective Christian Apologetics by Alister McGrath Do you realise that unsaved students have issues they grapple with when considering whether or not they would give their lives to Christ? Have you made any effort to find out what their peculiar questions or dilemmas are which are hindering them from making a decision to give their lives to Christ? Do you know that you cant really be an effective witness for Christ if you dont find out what hinders a specific person from giving his or her life to Christ, and then, spending more time in prayer and in Bible study, seeking Gods face to find answers they can connect with? Think about this and do something about it starting from today.
Posted on: Sat, 26 Jul 2014 11:31:39 +0000
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