I am a Christian because it makes sense of the universe and our lives within it.

Why I am a Christian Bibliography

January 13-14, 2018

ILL: Mark Twain famously tells about a small boy who came home from church. His father asked him what he had learned. “We learned about faith,” he said. “And what is faith?” asked his father. “Faith is believing in something you know isn’t true.”

Isn’t this what many people imagine when they think of faith? For many people, believing in God is wishful thinking.

ILL: I once asked a young man if he believed in God. “Oh no! I believe in science. Science is all about facts and religion is all about faith.”

Have you heard that before? Many people think that faith is unreasonable; they suspect that in order to become a Christian, you must kiss your brains goodbye. For the next few weeks, I want to challenge that assumption. I want to demonstrate that there are some compelling reasons for faith, and that you can believe in God with intellectual integrity. I want to tell you why I am a Christian.

If someone were to ask you, “Why are you a Christian?” what would you answer? Do you have compelling reasons for your faith? The apostle Peter wrote:

1 Peter 3:15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.

Are you prepared to give an answer to anyone who asks you the reason for your faith?

The practice of giving reasons for your faith is called “apologetics.” This doesn’t mean that we are apologetic about our faith. The word “apologetics” comes from the Greek legal term apologia which meant “to give a defense.” (apo = from + logia = reason) “Be prepared to give an answer,” Peter says, and the word “answer” translates the Greek word apologia. B