When sceptics and agnostics have' said all that they can say – there are three broad facts which they have not dealt with honestly nor been able to explain away – simple facts, plain facts, but impossible to ignore.
If Christianity is the mere invention of men, an opium of the people, or a foolish desire for a happy hunting ground; how do you explain Jesus Christ?
2. The Bible itself:(a) His existence in history men cannot deny. He lived in this world. He was born in Bethlehem, walked this earth, died on a Roman cross and witnesses claim that He arose from the grave.
(b) Without force or bribery, without arms or money, without an earthly kingdom or great possessions, He left a mark on this world as no other person in all of history! He never wrote a book, yet no library is sufficient to hold the books written about Him. He never wrote a song, yet He has been the theme of more songs than all others combined.
(c) All other religious leaders came to live; He came to die! All other messiahs chose as their followers the rich, powerful, and influential – He chose the poor, despised, and the rejected. All other messiahs say, "Follow me, I'll show you the way." He said, "Follow Me, I am the way." All others claim to be messengers of God. He said, "I and the Father are One." All others stay dead; He arose and all of His claims, promises, and work depend on His resurrection. How do you explain Jesus Christ?
If Christianity is the mere invention of men and has no Divine authority or foundation, how do you explain the Bible?
3. The Results of true Christianity:(a) Dating back three thousand-five hundred years; written by forty men over a period of fifteen hundred years; most of its writers never knew one another. They certainly never consulted one another or collaborated together, yet when the sixty-six books were brought together, they declared one message of redemption; the revelation of one person, Jesus Christ, in type, promise, picture, and person.
(b) Written by men who were not scholars, authors, or recognized as literary giants; written in a language now all but dead; hated by many; mocked, ridiculed, and the butt of jokes! Powerful men have tried to destroy it, explain it away, and change its message, yet it continues to be printed in over one thousand languages and read by more people than all other books combined. The Bible has endured the test of time. Where are the books of men printed even five hundred years ago? The last entry in the Bible occured two thousand years ago. It has overcome the barrier of custom and nationality. It is read by Americans. Chinese, French, and Africans; read by old and young, read by lawyers and laborers – it meets the need of all.
(c) The Bible tells the truth about man in plain terms. It does not dignify, justify, or gloss over his sins, imperfections, and inabilities. It shuts him up to the mercy of God and leaves his deliverance in the hands of a sovereign, yet gracious God. The Bible tells the truth about God, claiming, as no other book dares, to be the very Word of God. It is profound, yet simple; mysterious yet plain. It has been misused, abused, misquoted, and used as a platform by self-seeking, evil men; yet it stands unchanged, powerful, and still the world's best seller.
If Christianity is but the invention of men and has no power beyond the resolve and determination of natural flesh, how do you explain the difference in the conditions, spirit, and behavior of men where the Bible is preached, revered, and loved; where Christ is believed, worshipped, and honored and where the Bible and Christ are rejected?
(a) I defy you to look at a map of the world and compare the countries where men are Christians and where men are infidels. In Christian countries and communities individual freedom is recognized, human life is highly regarded, human rights are recognized, laws of morality are enforced and governments are subject to the people.
(b) I challenge you to compare homes where parents are true Christians and homes where they are not. I challenge you to compare the honesty, integrity, and concern of individuals who are true believers with those who make no profession of faith in Christ. How do you account for the vast difference – the definite change in a home or a person where Christ reigns? Then compare the death of those who die in hope and those who die with no hope.
The Lord finds men in ignorance and gives them knowledge. The Lord finds men in darkness and gives them light. The Lord finds men in superstition and gives them truth. The Lord finds men in despair and gives them hope. The Lord finds men slaves to sin and sets them free.
It is time men quit hiding behind the hypocrite, spending their time critizing the false preachers and phony religious movements (like the poor, you have them with you always) and deal honestly with these three facts. Who is Jesus Christ? What does the Bible say? How can we account for the Miraculous change Christ makes in a home, community and an individual?